Ron Baade is the Senior Analyst for Commonwealth Transportation Consultants and an adjunct instructor for the Center for Law Enforcement Education and Northwestern Universtiy’s Center for Public Safety. Mr. Baade has 25 years of experience within the law enforcement profession, including 13 years instructing courses in the fields of collision investigation, child passenger safety, commercial vehicle safety and hazardous materials enforcement.

In his current position, he performs collision reconstruction for the civil and criminal legal communities, develops compliance training programs for motor carriers, conducts traffic studies, and develops and delivers accident investigation / traffic safety training programs. Mr. Baade has testified in a Frye Hearing regarding electronic data retrieved from commercial vehicles.

 

Mr. Baade’s full-time law enforcement career included employment with the Pennsylvania State Police.
Mr. Baade taught collision investigation for Pennsylvania State Police’s academy and the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Traffic Institute for Police Services. In addition, he taught the CVSA North American Standard Level I Inspection and General Hazardous Materials Training Program for the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Motor Carriers. He has attended courses related to collision investigation at the Pennsylvania State University, PSP’s Academy, Traffic Institute for Police Services, the Institute of Police Technology and Management, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board. Courses he has completed include On-Scene Investigation, Advanced/Technical Collision Investigation, Collision Reconstruction, Inspection and Investigation of Commercial Motor Vehicles in Accidents, Commercial Vehicle Accident Investigation and Reconstruction, Advanced Traffic Accident Reconstruction With The Use of Microcomputers, Bus Accident Investigation, Forensic Mapping with the Sokkia Electronic Total Station, Heavy Truck Collision Reconstruction, Reconstruction Technology Instructor Training, Technical Expertise in Accident Management (TEAM), Crash Data Retrieval System, Engine Control Module Data Collection (Caterpillar), Engine Control Module Operations (Cummins) and DDEC Reports/Data Extraction (Detroit Diesel).

 

Because of his vast education and experience in collision investigation, Mr. Baade was, in 1993, selected to be the first supervisor of PSP’s newly created Vehicle Accident Reconstruction Program. Under his supervision, major changes were enacted in equipment and training. In 1996, the program evolved into the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit. During his tenure, Mr. Baade conducted multiple crash tests and had articles published in the Accident Reconstruction Journal regarding accelerometers, railroad grade crossings and residual vehicle deformation.

 

Mr. Baade has given testimony in eleven Pennsylvania counties, the Middle District of Pennsylvania Federal Court, and in the states of Delaware, New York and Rhode Island. He is ACTAR accredited, and served on the ACTAR governing Board of Directors from 1995 – 2002.

 

On February 28, 2011, Mr. Baade became the President of the newly formed Commercial Vehicle Crash Research Institute (CVCRI), an IRS recognized 501(c) (3) non-profit entity.  The CVCRI’s mission is to expand the knowledge base with regard to commercial vehicle crashes including how commercial vehicles react to crash forces.  For more information on the CVCRI, and how to contribute, please visit www.cvcri.org.

 

Mr. Baade can be contacted at: Ron@comtrancon.com