February 16, 2010
Vehicle Accelerators: What You Should Know
CED Experts: Providing More Than Just Reports
Meet the Expert: Clyde C. Richard, Ph.D., P.E.
On the Scene E-Newsletter Edition 104 Vol.I (PDF Version) 
Vehicle Accelerators: What You Should Know
 When Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles last fall, it said it was because floor mats could possibly jam their gas pedals open and send cars zooming out of control. That may have been an issue, but now the company is saying its latest recall is linked to worn pedal mechanisms that increase friction in certain conditions and cause the accelerator to stick sometimes.
CED has recently gained a lot of attention with the Toyota recall. However, vehicles and the event of an accelerator throttle sticking is nothing new to CED. Before one can analyze whether there is a potential throttle-sticking issue that caused an accident, they should first determine whether the accelerator is mechanical or electronic.
Prior to 1996, when the patent was filed for the electronic throttle accelerator, most vehicles have what is called a mechanical throttle. A mechanical throttle is a pedal on the driver side of the interior that is connected to a throttle actuator and cruise control system on the engine. As the driver pressed down on the pedal the cable would move, increasing the throttle on the engine making the car go faster. CED has performed many investigations on mechanical throttles. Below is what an engineer typically looks for in the event of a throttle sticking accusation:
Pedal Inspection:
• Floor mats dislodged as an obstruction
• Worn carpeting that could cause interference
• Under dashboard obstructions such as wires, etc.
• Aftermarket modifications
Engine Inspection:
• Kinks in the cable
• Worn casings that house the cable
• The throttle actuator on the engine
• Cruise Control system
Once these potential causes are inspected, engineers can then make an assessment as to the cause of the accident or potential causation. For new models, most cars are equipped with what is called an electronic throttle or “throttle by wire”. The way this works in most cars is there is an electronic sensor on both the pedal and the engine. When the driver presses the pedal, the electronic via voltage change will send a message to the electronics on the engine telling the engine to go faster. In this case, the events are stored electronically and in some cases can be downloaded by CED engineers. CED has been involved in many cases where the events from the recorder have determined that the operator did not have a “sticky” accelerator, instead the operator stepped on the wrong pedal. Whether the issue is an electronic accelerator or mechanical accelerator, CED can help using technology and expertise.
CED Experts: Providing More Than Just reports
 CED Investigative Technologies has been providing litigation support services to law firms, insurance companies and self-insured companies for over 20 years. Typically, this requires our engineers to make inspections and write reports. Often we answer the call to do much more to meet clients' needs.
One service we offer is evidence storage. CED has a secure, climate-controlled facility where evidence can be properly stored, tagged and catalogued to assure the chain of custody is maintained and documented to avoid the chance of spoliation. Evidence is clearly marked and easy to locate so it can be recalled and ready as soon as you need it.
We provide product testing. CED branch offices have on-site labs and neutral,
third party facilities available for examining and testing evidence and exemplars. We can perform tests and have them videotaped on-site, or provide a location for interested parties to attend.
CED engineers create demonstrative evidence for clients. Using computer design tools, our engineers can create pictures, models and simulations to better illustrate their findings for trial. We can also help design simulation-based animations with trial service providers we have collaborated with.
We provide a neutral location for depositions and trial preparation. Each of our offices is located near a metropolitan center with convenient access to air and highway travel. We offer a comfortable, professional setting with teleconference and web-conference capabilities.
Our experts can be used as trial and deposition consultants. Even if you have not had the need to disclose an expert witness in your case, it may be quite valuable to speak with a CED engineer. Engineers can aide in preparation by offering first-hand knowledge and discussing your case and suggesting questions to ask fact witnesses and opposing experts.
Meet the Expert: Clyde C. Richard, Ph.D., P.E.
 Dr. Clyde C. Richard is the Chief Executive Officer and a Senior Mechanical Engineer for CED Investigative Technologies Inc. Dr. Richard graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute located in Troy, New York where he holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. After performing basic research on energy conversion devices for four years at United Technologies, Dr. Richard joined the mechanical engineering faculty at the University of Connecticut where he received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering.
While teaching at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Richard also consulted for the nuclear power generation industry, resulting in an invitation to join the Northeast Utility Service Company as a section manager involved in solving mechanical engineering problems at several different power plants. Dr. Richard left Northeast Utilities to take a position with the Danish Power Consortium as a consultant to the managing director. After leaving the consortium, Dr. Richard continued working in Europe, becoming a department head for Babcock Brown BoverGmbH. In 1976, Dr. Richard became a professor in the Naval Systems Engineering Department at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he taught mechanical engineering and engineering design courses.
Additionally, he performed research and consulting for numerous different agencies including the Navy and the Department of Energy. Through teaching and research Dr. Richard has authored over 29 publications, has two patents and has been a speaker
and paper presenter at symposiums in the United States, Europe and Israel.
In 1982, a company interested in applying science and engineering principles to better understand the dynamics of an accident asked Dr. Richard to conduct a forensic investigation. This investigation led to numerous other accidents where Dr. Richard performed experiments and tests in order to determine the likely cause of a particular accident. Some of the tests Dr. Richard performed included testing human subjects to better understand how an adult or child would respond to a certain set of circumstances.
In 1987 Dr. Richard founded CED Investigative Technologies Inc., a forensic engineering company, which has expanded to five offices and over 30 employees nationwide and is regarded as one of the premiere investigative firms. Since beginning his forensic work over 20 years ago, Dr. Richard has conducted more than a thousand investigations and accident reconstructions. He has given numerous depositions and has testified in both Federal and State courts in the United States. Dr. Richard has also been a speaker at several forensic engineering meetings, even traveling to Japan to present the results of experiments on products.
Dr. Richard is a registered Professional Engineer in nine states and a member of numerous professional societies, including the Human Factors Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers and the National Society of Forensic Engineers.
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