Academic Credentials
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 1993
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 1991
Additional Education & Training
  • SAE Seminars: Occupant and Vehicle Kinematics in Rollovers, Troy, MI, November 11-12, 2004
  • Passenger Car Rollover TOPTEC: Cause and Prevention, San Diego, CA, January 21-22, 1999
Professional Honors
  • Recipient of 2012 SAE Arch T. Colwell Award for outstanding paper (2010-01-0515) presented at SAE
Professional Affiliations
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (member)
  • Society of Automotive Engineers (member)

Mr. Croteau has decades of experience in conducting vehicle reconstructions and crashworthiness analysis of motor vehicle crashes. He specializes in the kinematic and dynamic analysis of on-road and off-road motor vehicles in all crash modes. He has specific expertise in the areas of accident reconstruction, structural crashworthiness, seat performance, vehicle crash and rollover testing with and without ATDs, and the design evaluation and testing of vehicle components and structures. 

Mr. Croteau has conducted hundreds of full-scale vehicle and component tests at Exponent's Test and Engineering Center that have been used to validate reconstructions, understand vehicle and occupant kinematics and dynamics, assess restraint system performance, analyze seat structure performance, and research the performance of occupant protection systems in the context of the crashworthiness of vehicle structures.

Mr. Croteau has developed specialized expertise in designing and conducting vehicle crash and sled tests, handling tests, automotive component testing, and restraint system evaluations that relate to a specific accident mode or incident. He is acquainted with the different safety standards, the NHTSA star ratings, and consumer metrics associated with vehicle performance in static and dynamic testing. Mr. Croteau has conducted physical testing and evaluated the design and performance of Roll Over Protection Structures (ROPS) for off-highway recreational vehicles, as well as evaluated the kinematics and dynamics of these recreational vehicles. He is familiar with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) and the ANSI/ROHVA standards as well as the testing required in evaluating compliance with those standards.

Mr. Croteau has conducted numerous peer-reviewed research programs that have explored the validity of simulation-based tools for use in accident reconstruction, proposed novel methodologies for determining impact speed in vehicle crashes using Newtonian physics, and generated energy dissipation data for the body of literature associated with crashes into wooden utility poles and steel bollards. He has contributed to the rollover community by conducting several research studies utilizing different rollover methodologies, which has advanced the understanding of vehicle and occupant kinematics and dynamics in real-world rollover crashes. Specifically, he was involved in the early development and fabrication of Exponent's Controlled Rollover Impact System (CRIS) and has conducted more than a dozen subsequent tests with the machine. He is knowledgeable about the different configurations and measurements obtained by the Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) used in crash and rollover testing as well as their association to the relevant Injury Assessment Reference Values.

Mr. Croteau's extensive testing experience complements his overall technical expertise and enhances his consulting contributions to the reconstruction of motor vehicle accidents and analysis of the performance of structural components in different types of vehicles. He has demonstrated technical capabilities in computer-aided engineering and analysis of electromechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems. He has first-hand experience in designing automatic control systems using closed-loop analog and digital techniques. He also has experience in instrumentation system design, installation, and calibration, as well as computer-based data acquisition and processing.