Why is it unclear as to who is qualified to reconstruct?

The reason it is unclear as to who is qualified to practice reconstruction is because there are no set standards one must fulfill to do so. There are also no engineering schools that offer a bachelor of science of master of science degree in forensic engeering specifically tailored to reconstruction.

Short courses

There are several schools that offer short courses in reconstruction, such as the Northwestern University's Traffic Institute, and the Texas Engineering Extension Services (TEES). These schools usually offer "boot camp" courses that can be extremely costly and are held over the course of a few weeks. Many of these schools only require a high school equivalent of algebra for admission.

Because the math requirements are so low, one might argue that the admissions have opened the doors to those who might not have the scientific or mathematical skills to be a good reconstructionist.

ACTAR Exam

To try and standardize qualifications, The Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction (ACTAR) created an exam that tests a student's reconstruction knowledge. However, only 61 percent of those who take the exam pass, and because it is not a prerequisite to practice, many reconstructionists have not taken it at all.

Next: How Can We Ensure All Reconstructionists Are Qualified?

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