SRI’s goal is to always be on the forefront of technology. In almost every case, there is some type of digital evidence present. Before computers, detectives used fingerprints to prove cases. Now, SRI’s digital investigators use digital evidence as evidence to prove what occurred. This evidence used in conjunction with our team approach allows us to give our clients evidence that is forensically solid to prove their case. In today’s digital world it is almost impossible not to leave some type of a virtual footprint or profile. We are very dependent on our phones, tablets, infotainment systems, navigation systems, Electronic Log Devices, Collision Mitigation Systems, Smart Camera Systems, and computers. Much like leaving DNA at a crime scene, the digital world can provide evidence just as compelling. Understanding this data and testing of many of these systems helps our team sustain challenges to its use of this data’s accuracy.

As the owner of SRI Joey has always invested in emerging technologies to be able to understand how they work and how to acquire the data from these systems. SRI has the training and equipment to acquire the data from the following systems:

1. EDR systems commonly known as Airbag Control Modules

• • General Motors vehicles
  • Ford vehicles
  • Hyundai vehicles
  • Kia Vehicles
  • Tesla vehicles
  • Etc….

2. Motorcycle, 4 Wheel ATV and SUV EDR’s

3. Passenger vehicles that have video recording

SRI’s team is researching the owners’ manuals for each vehicle that records video. This is and will be in the future a daunting task but to know the data exists and then to have the knowledge and equipment to acquire this data may be crucial in an individual case.

4. Infotainment Systems

Vehicles hold a vast amount of data that can be utilized to help uncover critical information during an investigation.  This information can help determine what happened, where it occurred, and who was involved. The following are samples of the data that may be recovered from these devices:

VEHICLE EVENTS

Access event logs with activity such as door opens, gear shifts, active lights, ignitions cycles, speed logs, and more.

LOCATION DATA

Recover location data and navigation information such as track logs, saved locations, active routes, and previous destinations…

CONNECTED DEVICES

Identify devices that have been connected via the USB ports, over Bluetooth or wireless network and all of the data associated with those devices.

5. OnStar Module

OnStar modules are similar to infotainment system modules.  They hold a vast amount of information, including track logs and route logs (navigation tracking).  These logs can help show the actual position and location of a vehicle at a given time.  It can also give speed related data that can help highlight what the vehicle was doing during an incident or collision.

CMV Digital Data may be more abundant than passenger vehicles. In today’s age Electronic Logging Devices are mandated in CMV’s and many of these systems have AI assisted drive cameras. This provides many pieces of crucial evidence that may be available: 

Real time telematics 

GPS tracking

Critical event reporting

Hours of service

Video/audio of the driver

Lane departure

Following distance

Speed

Traffic light & Stop sign violations

Distracted driving

Eating or drinking

Cell phone usage

Fatigued driving

HVEDR data

ABS System Data

Collision Mitigation System

Transmission data

Harsh cornering

Harsh acceleration

Harsh Braking

Unlike human witnesses or drivers who have to rely on human memory to recall what happened in a collision. CMV Telematics record data directly from the vehicle systems. SRI has a dedicated digital investigator that is constantly researching the capabilities of these systems. We have also invested in multiple ELD Systems and AI assisted cameras that we have installed and are testing.

Many of these systems operate through a tablet. These tablets need to be preserved and downloaded as they may also have tracking data, video backed up from the camera system, and these tablets many times are personally owned and are used for things other than the ELD system.

AI Drive cameras record data continuously. These cameras need to be powered off and stored until the video can be downloaded. Some ELD systems have SD cards that record video directly in the ELD system. All of the AI cameras we have tested are recording video continuously despite what is being said by company representatives.

Our testing of these systems allows us to validate the accuracy and capabilities of these systems.

6. Bendix

Bendix has multiple systems that may contain data and or video if a CMV is equipped with the systems and components. The ABS EC-60 and EC-80 Systems may contain speed data, steering data, when the brakes are applied. The following is a sample report from one of these systems:

7. Collision Mitigation Systems on CMV’s 

8. Transmission

Allison speed data

Gear position

9. Cell phones

10. Tablets 

11. GPS Units

12. Navigation units

Difference between passenger vehicle GPS and Truck GPS

13. Vehicle Hot Spots