David M. Blaisdell
Research Engineer specializing in collision analysis, vehicle crash performance evaluations and accident reconstruction. Research activities include vehicle safety system evaluations and development of specialized reconstruction techniques. These studies have utilized instrumented crash tests, vehicle component testing and computer analysis techniques. Lectures and publishes research papers on the subjects of automotive collision safety and collision analysis techniques.
Consulting activities involve accident reconstruction, including evaluation of vehicle and occupant dynamics and kinematics as well as analysis of vehicle crash performance and safety system evaluations. These activities include court appearances as an expert witness.
1987 to present Research Engineer with Collision Research & Analysis, Incorporated.
1970 to 1987 Research Engineer with the consulting firm of Severy Incorporated.
1957 to 1970 Member of the UCLA Automotive Collision Research Program and the UCLA Institute of Transportation and Traffic Engineering
Has conduced or participated in more than fifteen hundred laboratory experiments and several hundred vehicle per-formance tests, including more than one hundred full-scale collision experiments.
Assisted with and lectured for University sponsored Engineering-medical training seminars relating to accident recon-struction and collision analysis techniques. Lectured before numerous technical societies on various aspects of colli-sion injury research and accident reconstruction techniques. Instructor for SAE seminars on automotive seat crash safety.
Analyzed and reconstructed over three thousand transportation and industrial accidents; has made numerous court ap-pearances as an expert witness on subjects related to accident reconstruction and vehicle performance as well as the crash performance of various vehicle safety systems.
- Engineering: Bachelor of Science degree; California State University, Long Beach, 1973.
- Engineering: Associate in Arts degree; El Camino College, 1967.
Publications
Co-authored sixteen technical publications directly related to automotive collision safety, accident re-construction and vehicle design considerations. Specific subjects include motorist head and body impact analysis; au-tomotive door system design considerations; design and analysis of automotive restraint systems and automotive seat-ing systems; school bus collision safety; smaller vehicle versus larger vehicle collisions; automotive collision fires and mechanisms of burn injuries.
Publication List
- G.D. Stephens, T.J. Long, D.M. Blaisdell, “Energy Analysis of Automotive Seat Systems,” Society of Automotive Engineers, March 2000, (SAE #2000-01-1380).
- D.M. Blaisdell, G. Stephens, U. Meissner, "Collision Performance of Automotive Door Systems," SAE, March 1994, pp. 53-64. (SAE 940562)
- D.M. Blaisdell, A.E. Levitt, M.S. Varat, "Automotive Seat Design Concepts for Occupant Protection," SAE, March 1993, pp. 109-119. (SAE 930340)
- J. R. Cromack, D. Schneider, D.M. Blaisdell, "Occupant Kinematics and Belt Markings in Crash Tests with Unre-strained and Partially Restrained Test Dummies," 34th Annual Proceedings Association for the Advancement of Auto-motive Medicine, 1990, pp.203-225.
- D.M. Severy, D.M. Blaisdell, L.S. Horn, "Motorist Head and Body Impact Analysis, Methodologies and Reconstruc-tion," Warrendale, Penn., SAE, Feb. 1985, 22p. (SAE 850097)
- D.M. Severy, D. M. Blaisdell, J.F. Kerkoff, "Designing Safer Seats," Automotive Engineering, vol. 84, No. 10, Oct. 1976, pp.37-40, 78.
- D.M. Severy, D.M. Blaisdell, J.F. Kerkoff, "Automotive Seat Design and Collision Performance," 20th Stapp Car Crash Conference, 1976, pp.305-334; also in SAE Transactions, vol. 85, 1976, pp.2251-2565 (SAE 760810).
- D.M. Severy, D.M. Blaisdell, J.F. Kerkoff, "Mechanisms of Injury from Crash Fires," 19th Conference of American Association for Automotive Medicine, 1975, pp.312-331.
- D.M. Severy, D.M. Blaisdell, J.F. Kerkoff, "Automotive Collision Fires," 18th Stapp Car Conference, 1974, pp.113-199, also in SAE Transactions, sec.4, vol. 83, 1974, pp.3588-3631 (SAE 741180).
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, D.M. Blaisdell, "Smaller Vehicle Versus Larger Vehicle Collisions," 15th Stapp Car Crash Conference, 1971, pp.386-436, also in SAE Transactions vol. 80, 1971, pp.2929-2958 (SAE 710861).
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, D.M. Blaisdell, "Motorcycle Collision Experiments," 14th Stapp Car Crash Conference, 1970, pp.61-120, (SAE 700397).
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, J.D. Baird, D.M. Blaisdell, "Active Versus Passive Motorist Restraints," International Au-tomobile Safety Conference Compendium, 1970, pp.1057-1074 (SAE 700424).
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, J.D. Baird, D.M. Blaisdell, "UCLA-ITTE Engineers Research a Safer Seat," SAE Journal, VOL. 78, No.6, June 1970, pp.24-28.
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, J.D. Baird, D.M. Blaisdell, "Safer Seat Designs," 13th Stapp Car Crash Conference, 1969, pp.314-335 (SAE 690812).
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, J.D. Baird, H. Jakob, D.M. Blaisdell, "School Bus Seat Restraint-Seat Anchorage Sys-tems," Los Angeles, UCLA-ITTE, 1969, 137p.
- D.M. Severy, H.M. Brink, J.D. Baird, H. Jakob, D.M. Blaisdell, "School Bus Collision Experiments, Series II; Opera-tions Plan 1968-1969," Los Angeles, UCLA-ITTE, 1969, 21p.
- D.M. Severy, D. M. Blaisdell, B. McGuire, "Photo-Optical Instrumentation of Automobile Collisions: An Aid to Inju-ry Reduction Research." Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, 13th Annual Technical Symposium, 1969, vol. 1, pp.431-447.
Societies and Honors
- Member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
- Member of the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM).
- Member of Alpha Gamma Sigma, Honor Scholarship Society and Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society.
- Recipient of Society of Automotive Engineers 1975 Colwell Award for outstanding contribution to technical literature in the field of automotive engineering.