Professional Biography
Dan Barnes is a Senior Accident Reconstructionist at YA Group with more than 30 years of experience in vehicle accident reconstruction, performance evaluation and modification, and off-road activities. Over the past 13 years, Dan has reconstructed and assisted with the analysis of accidents involving vehicles ranging from tractor-trailer doubles to passenger cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, as well as off-road vehicles and industrial machines. His work also includes design analysis involving vehicle brake and powertrain controls and crashworthiness systems, as well as performance demonstrations, dynamic evaluation, and crash test support.
Dan has extensive experience in foundation brake system development and productionization for OE customers of a high-performance brake system manufacturer, having previously overseen production planning and support and played an instrumental role in an operational improvement program that led to ISO/TS 16949 quality system certification. He has also specified new aftermarket and motorsport products and applications, directly supporting professional motorsport activities both on- and off-road.
Dan’s background further includes automotive retail management, encompassing both front-of-shop and back-of-shop operations, as well as more than 10 years as an automotive journalist assessing vehicle capacity and performance across acceleration, braking, and handling, with a particular emphasis on suspension and tire technology.
Credentials & Certifications
- FAA Certified Drone Pilot (FAACDP)
Professional Experience
- Senior Accident Reconstructionist | YA Group | 2026 - Current
- Senior Engineer | Carr Engineering, Inc. | 2013 - 2026
Practices & Skillsets
- Products Liability
- Vehicle Electronic Data Download
- Vehicle Rollover Analysis
- Drone Pilot
Publications and Presentations
- Carr, L., Barnes, D., and Crimeni, J., "Lay Driver Technique for Crash Avoidance Brake Application," SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-0146, 2014, https://doi.org/10.4271/2014-01-0146 (2014)
- Carr, L., Rucoba, R., Barnes, D., Kent, S. et al., "EDR Pulse Component Vector Analysis," SAE Technical Paper 2015-01-1448, 2015, https://doi.org/10.4271/2015-01-1448 (2015)
- Walker, J., Rucoba, R., Barnes, D., and Kent, S., "Brake Vacuum Booster Characterization," SAE Technical Paper 2019-01-0412, 2019, https://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-0412 (2019)
- Walker, J., Duran, A., Barnes, D., Osterhout, A. et al., "Inertial Pedal Displacement and Brake Switch Activation in Frontal Crash Events," SAE Technical Paper 2026-01-0541, 2026, https://doi.org/10.4271/2026-01-0541 (2026)
- Walker, J., Duran, A., Kent, S., Barnes, D. et al., "Residual “Non-Zero” Speedometer Readings in Crash Tests Using a HYGETM Crash Simulation System," SAE Technical Paper 2026-01-0537, 2026, https://doi.org/10.4271/2026-01-0537 (2026)
Education
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Engineering, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA
Training Courses
- Introduction to Brake Control Systems: ABS, TCS, and ESC, C0315, SAE International (2013)
- Traffic Crash Reconstruction - 1, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety (2013)
- Crash Data Retrieval Technician Levels 1 and 2, Collision Safety Institute (2014)
- Applied Vehicle Dynamics, C0414, SAE International (2014)
- Applying Automotive EDR Data to Traffic Crash Reconstruction, C1210, SAE International (2016)
- EDC Reconstruction, EDCORP (2018)
Affiliations
- SAE International