The Nevada Department of Public Safety has partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety to offer four advanced accident investigation and reconstruction classes to law enforcement officers in Nevada.

Funding for the classes was provided by a $58,996 traffic safety grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through the DPS Office of Traffic Safety.

The classes are:

* Technical Accident Investigations

o This class focuses on the vehicle and roadway factors that may cause, or contribute to, an accident.

* Vehicle Dynamics

o This class focuses on the physics associated with vehicle collisions and the mathematical equations used to determine the speeds of vehicles based on the roadway and vehicle evidence.

* Motorcycle Traffic Collision Reconstruction

o This class focuses on the specific methodologies used to reconstruct collisions involving motorcycles. This course involves considerable field testing, involving staged motorcycle crashes to apply the theories. OTS has provided seven motorcycles, that were previously used during their new rider training courses, for use in the staged collisions.

* Event Data Recorder Technician

o This class teaches officers how to access and image the data collected by a vehicle’s collision data recorders. Vehicle collision data recorders can capture information such as: vehicle speed prior to impact, seatbelt usage by occupants, throttle and braking application, mechanical faults that could cause or contribute to the collision, and steering inputs by the driver.

This training is open to members of all Nevada law enforcement agencies. To provide the training to the greatest number of officers throughout the state, the Technical Accident Investigations and Vehicle Dynamics classes will be offered in Elko, Carson City, and Las Vegas.

The classes are:

* Technical Accident Investigations:

o Carson City: March 7-18

o Elko: March–April 1

o Las Vegas: Dates TBD

* Vehicle Dynamics:

o Carson City: May 23-27

o Elko: April 4-8

o Las Vegas: Dates TBD

* Motorcycle Traffic Collision Reconstruction: Aug. 22-26

* Collision Data Recorder Technician: Aug. 29-30.