TARAS, Inc.

Traffic Accident Reconstruction, Animation, and Simulation
1731 Bent Tree Court, Granbury, Texas, 76049
Telephone:  (817) 573-0646
Incorporated September, 1995
Adjunct faculty for the Northwestern University Traffic Institute, Accident Investigation and Traffic Engineering Divisions
Adjunct faculty for the Texas Engineering Extension (TEEX) of Texas A&M University
 

The Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction,
(ACTAR #564), January, 1994
 

Aug. 1992 -
Sept 1995

National Transportation Safety Board
Highway Accident Investigator/Researcher
Central Region, Highway Division
1200 Copeland Road, Suite 300
Arlington, Texas  76011
 

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent government agency with oversight responsibility for both public and private entities having transportation safety responsibilities.  Duties: Traffic safety research, the investigation and reconstruction of major highway accidents involving national issues of highway safety, such as: Any school bus accident resulting in death to a student passenger, any commercial bus accident resulting in death or injury to an occupant, heavy truck accidents resulting in two or more fatal injuries or involving issues of driver fatigue, railroad grade crossing accidents, or any accident involving five or more fatalities.
 

Special Duties\Expertise:  Computer simulation and accident reconstruction.  Technical advisor in Board's Child Occupant Restraint Study, 1994-95. Special investigations including fatal school bus accidents and railroad grade crossing investigations.
 

Honors\Awards: Outstanding Performance Award, 1994, & 1995; Superior Accomplishment Award, for bringing computerized TAR to the NTSB, September 1994; Certificate of Appreciation, NTSB Safety Study, Role of Fatigue in Commercial Vehicle Accidents, November 1995.
 

Nov. 1990 -
Aug. 1992

Northwestern University Traffic Institute (now The Center for Public Safety)
Senior Consultant and Lecturer, Accident Investigation Division
405 Church Street, Evanston, Illinois
Served as a consultant and lecturer to law enforcement officials, engineers, attorneys and others in the area of traffic accident reconstruction and police vehicle operation.  Responsible for developing and presenting instructional programs, particularly in the area of traffic accident investigation and reconstruction.
 

Northwestern University Traffic Institute
Associate Director, Police Training Division
405 Church Street, Evanston, Illinois
Responsibilities included:  administering on-campus police training courses of limited duration (2 weeks or less); hiring and supervising instructors; determining the training and educational needs of students; planning, developing and scheduling a program to meet those needs; researching and developing courses of study; teaching; counseling students; evaluating and updating current courses.
 

Northwestern University, Traffic Institute
Associate Instructor, Field Services Division
405 Church Street, Evanston, Illinois
Responsibilities included:  teaching and administering off-campus police training courses of limited duration.  Subject areas included:  Traffic Accident Investigation, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or Drugs, Police Supervision.
 

Traffic Accident Reconstruction Consultant
Boise, Idaho/Port Allegany, Pennsylvania
Providing consultation services to the legal profession
 

Boise City Police Department
7200 Barrister Drive
Boise, Idaho
Dec. 1976 - Oct. 1987
 

Patrol Division, Supervisor of DUI Task Force of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. 
Responsibilities included:  Supervision of Accident Reconstruction Specialists, investigation of all nighttime serious injury and fatal traffic accidents, nighttime traffic and DUI enforcement efforts. Investigation of all accidents involving pursuits and police vehicles. Member of Chief's committee on departmental pursuit policy
 

Administrative Support Division, Sergeant in Charge of Boise State
University Law Enforcement Services. 
Supervision duties included:  Training and supervision of officer candidates, staffing and shift assignments, program design and evaluation.  Field Training Supervisor.
 

Patrol Division,
General patrol duties to include criminal and traffic accident investigations, emergency and tactical response, field training officer and special assignments in DUI public information.
 

Masters in Public Administration, Public Safety/CJ Emphasis
August 1991
Boise State University, Boise, Idaho

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration, Aug. 1976
Park College, Parkville, Missouri
Honors Graduate:  Senior Scholarship Award
 

Driving Under The Influence Instructor Training
Northwestern University/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
October, 1985
Alcohol/Gaze Nystagmus Training
Idaho State Police, October 1983

 Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training
Certified Instructor: DUI, MOBAT, and Intoximeter
 

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY

Originator and Co-Chairman, Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) of Idaho. Feb. 1982 - April 1983.  Conducted public seminars statewide.

Successfully lobbied for new DUI laws during the 1982 and 1983 legislative sessions, including testimony before the House and Senate Judiciary & Rules Committees.

Guest panelist on PBS TV program, "The Reporters" and on KIVI-TV, News Watch program-DWI "Deadliest Weapon in America".   Nov. 1985.

Crash Data Collection System Expert Panel, Calspan, Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., 1996 through 1998.  Development of computer based crash data collection system for police accident investigators.

NUTI DUI/Negligent Homicide Conference - Guest Speaker: July 1997, 1998, and 1999, Chicago, Topic: Investigation of School Bus Accidents.

NUTI DUI/Negligent Homicide Conference - Guest Speaker: September 1997, Binghamton, NY.  Topic: Investigation of School Bus Accidents/Computerized Accident Reconstruction.

National Association of Licensed Investigators - Guest Speaker: Mid-Winter Conference, 1998, Arlington, Texas.  Topic: Issues in Police Pursuit Litigation.

National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services - Guest Speaker, Annual Conference, October 1998, Austin, Texas.  Topic: Investigation of School Bus Accidents - Dangers of Lap Belts.

National Safety Council - Instructor -
Accident Investigation for Truck Fleet and Safety Managers,
Chicago Nat’l Safety Council Headquarters and Oil City, PA  Spring 90

Materials Analysis, Inc. - Engineering Consulting Services, 10338 Miller Road, Dallas, TX.  Staff Accident Reconstructionist, Feb- May 1998

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn, Michigan.  Instructor for Ford Motor Company Design Analysis Engineers, Traffic Accident Reconstruction,  June 1992.

Southeastern States Pupil Transportation 49th Annual Conference, Guest Speaker, Huntsville, Alabama, A Comparison of Risk of Occupant Injury in Large v. Small School Buses, July 1999.

Texas Association for Pupil Transportation 27th Annual Conference, Guest Speaker, Fort Worth, Texas, Understanding the Principles of Occupant Restraint and Injury in Large vs. Small School Buses, July 2000

Kentucky Association for Pupil Transportation, Inc., 10^th Annual Spring Institute, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Understanding the Principles of Occupant Restraint and Injury in Large vs. Small School Buses, April 17, 2001.

United States Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration.  Expert consultant in development of Expert Systems for Crash Data Collection computer program, through CALSPAN.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  Expert consultant retained by subcontractor Accident Research and Analysis in design of agency Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS), 1999. 

PUBLICATIONS:

During his tenure with the National Transportation Safety Board, Mr. Painter participated in several major investigations and published studies involving airbraked vehicles and human factors analysis.  Those published investigations included the following:

Collision of a Small School Bus and Tractor-Semitrailer near Snyder Oklahoma, November 10, 1993.

Multiple Vehicle Collision with Fire during Fog, Menifee, AR, January 9, 1995-Special Investigation of Collision Warning Technology.

Factors that Affect Fatigue in Heavy Truck Accidents, January 1995.

In March of 1994, Mr. Painter was selected to design and instruct a three-day training module for all National Transportation Safety Board investigators in support of NTSB safety study:

 #PB96-917005, The Performance and Use of Child Restraint Systems, Seatbelts, and Airbags for Children in Passenger Vehicles.

While on staff at the Northwestern University Traffic Institute he served as the Associate Director of Police Training, taught courses in Police Supervision,  and authored:

 An Administrator’s Guide to Police Pursuit Policy. (available through the Northwestern University Transportation Library)

While on staff at the Northwestern University Traffic Institute, Mr. Painter served as a Senior Consultant and Lecturer, and designed and authored training programs and instructional materials in the area of Traffic Accident Investigation and Traffic Accident Reconstruction.  These materials are marketed by the Traffic Institute, and used by training facilities nationwide. 

Magazine Articles:

Evaluating the Safety of Lap Belts on Small School Buses, School Bus Fleet Magazine, Bobit Publications, September 1999.  Article describes Transport Canada school bus crash testing and military crash sled testing of live baboons, both indicating that lap belt restraints in frontal accidents increase the likelihood of severe injury or death.
 

Instructional Experience/Traffic Accident Specific Courses:

Mr. Painter has provided instruction to students from across the nation and many countries that come to the Traffic Institute for discipline specific training.  The large number of classes and lectures he has given are too numerous to list.  However, Mr. Painter has taught all or portions of the following Traffic Institute instructional courses:

Ř      Accident Reconstruction for Traffic Engineers (40 hours)

Ř      Accident Investigation 1 - At-Scene Investigation (80 hours)

Ř      Accident Investigation 2 - Delayed Data Collection (80 hours)

Ř      Vehicle Dynamics (40 hours)

Ř      Traffic Accident Reconstruction 1 (80 hours)

Ř      Traffic Accident Reconstruction 2 (40 hours)

Ř      Heavy Vehicle Crash Reconstruction (40 hours)

Ř      Computerized Traffic Accident Reconstruction 1 -
 Introduction to EDCRASH (40 hours)

Ř      Microcomputer-Assisted Traffic Accident Reconstruction - EDCRASH (40 hours)

Ř      Computerized Traffic Accident Reconstruction 3 -
 Introduction to EDSMAC (24 hours)

Ř      Northwestern University Traffic Institute Annual Vehicular Homicide/DWI Conference
 

Summary of Professional Training:

The following is a summary of Traffic Accident Reconstruction, Human Factors Analysis, and related training courses completed by Mr. Painter:  Certificates of Completion and/or Attendance may be provided upon request (1411 classroom hours).

Human Factors: Understanding Driver Response
Instructor/Researcher: Jeffrey Muttart, UMASS
Also participated in Human Factors research – on-the-road study
Baltimore, Maryland
March 20 – 23, 2006 (28 hours)

CDR User’s Conference 2006
Irving, Texas
February 13 and 14, 2006 (14 hours)

Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) System Operator
Vetronix Corporation “Black Box” download technology
June 9 – 11, 2004, Houston, Texas (24 hours)

Team Texas High Performance Driving School
Oval Track Racing Techniques/150 mph
July 16, 2003, Fort Worth, Texas (4 hours)

Engineering Dynamics Corporation 2002 HVE Forum
Computer Simulation and Scientific Visualization
May 13 – 17, 2002, New Orleans, Louisiana (35 hours)

AutoCad – Computer Drafting
Sept 23-27, 2002, Fort Worth Texas (20 hours)
And May 6 – 10, 2002, Fort Worth Texas (20 hours)

Pursuit Seminar for Law Enforcement Driver Trainers
NHTSA/ALERT International
Included academic and field certification as EVOC Instructor
February 7 – 9, 2001, Dallas, Texas (24 hours)

Crash Data Retrieval System for Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module
Vetronix Corporation, General Motors Corporation
June 30, 2000, Santa Barbara, California (8 hours)

Nikon Total Station Forensic Mapping: Theory and Operation
Nikon Factory Training-Automated Investigation Measurement System
March 1, 2000, Arlington, Texas (8 hours) 

Human Factors in Automobile Accidents
Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company
February 18 - 19, 2000, Las Vegas, Nevada (16 hours)

VC2000 Vehicle Performance Computer Data Collection
Vericom Corporation, Minnetonka, Minnesota
February 14 - 15, 2000, Plano, Texas (16 hours)

Work Zone Traffic Control - Design and Operations
Texas A&M University - Engineering Extension
August 10 -12, 1999 (24 hrs.)

Air Brake System Training Seminar
Allied Signal/Bendix Corporation
April 30, 1998 (24 hrs.) 

Low Speed Collision Analysis
Texas A&M University, Engineering Extension Service
April 24, 1998 (40 hrs.)

Concept of Day/Night Visibility for Traffic Accident Investigators
Northwestern University Traffic Institute - Dr. Bernard Abrams
December 18, 1996 (24 hrs.)

National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course-Professional Truck Driving
International Truck Driving School, Waxahachie, Texas
October 9, 1996 (8 hrs.)

Applied Physics for Accident Reconstruction
Texas A&M University, Engineering Extension Service
June 7, 1996 (40 hrs.)

Advanced Interviewing Training Program -
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fed Law Enforcement Training Center
January 23, 1995 (40 hours)

Tractor Trailer Low Speed Impact Testing, TAARS Seminar
Texas A&M, College Station, TX, November, 1994 (8 hrs.) 

Traffic Accident Computer Animation
Engineering Animation, Inc, Ames, Iowa, October 1994 (40 hrs.)

Accident Investigation Techniques/Cause Analysis Training Seminar
National Transportation Safety Board, July 1994 (40 hrs.) 

Engineering Dynamics Computer Simulations (EDSMAC, VTS, SVS)
University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, May 1994 (40 hrs. 

Child/Occupant Restraint Training
National Transportation Safety Board, March 1994 (40 hrs.)

Commercial Vehicle Accident Investigation
Texas A&M University, August 1993 (40 hrs.)

Eaton Truck Transmission and Axle Training
Eaton Training Center, June 1993 (40 hrs.)

Pedestrian/Bicycle Accident Investigation
Texas A&M University, May 1993 (40 hrs.)

Federal Highway Administration, Roadside Design
Austin, Texas, March 1993 (40 hrs.)

Commercial Vehicle Brake System Training
National Transportation Safety Board, October 1992 (24 hrs.)

Commercial Vehicle Brake Inspection Training
National Transportation Safety Board, May, September, and Oct. 1992
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas (48 hrs.)

Introduction to Computer Assisted Drawing
Northwestern University Traffic Institute, May 1992 (24 hrs.)

Microcomputer Applications to Traffic Accident Reconstruction
Northwestern University Traffic Institute, October 1990 (40 hrs.)

Traffic Accident Reconstruction
Northwestern University Traffic Institute, June 1988 (80 hrs.)

Microcomputer Applications for Traffic Accident Reconstruction
Northwestern University Traffic Institute,  June 1987 (40 hrs.)

DUI Vehicular Homicide Conference
Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association,  Jan. 1987 (16 hrs.)

Management of a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
Institute of Police Technology and Management
University of North Florida,  April, 1986 (40 hrs.) 

Investigation of Motorcycle Accidents
Institute of Police Technology and Management
University of North Florida,  April, 1986 (40 hrs.)

Traffic Accident Reconstruction Seminar/Crash Testing
International Association of Traffic Accident Investigators and Reconstructionists. 
Boise, Idaho,  April, 1982.  (24 hrs.) 

Traffic Accident Reconstruction
Institute of Police Traffic Management
University of N. Florida, April, 1982 (80 hrs.)

Technical Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident Investigation
Northwestern University Traffic Institute,  June 1979 (120 hrs.)

At-Scene Traffic Accident Investigation
Northwestern University Traffic Institute, May 1978 (80 hrs.)