Richard Klein has been a private consultant for the trailer industry since 1981. In this capacity he has primarily been an expert witness in all manner of combination-vehicle accident investigations and litigations. He also conducts vehicle claims inspections for various insurance companies throughout the U.S.
Since 1995 Mr. Klein has been the Consulting Engineer for the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. In this capacity he writes technical articles, answers technical questions, and conducts vehicle inspections to ensure compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. He also performs this type of work for the Limousine Industry Manufacturers Organization.
Prior to private practice, Mr. Klein was employed by Systems Technology, Inc. of Hawthorne, California for 14 years. As a principal research engineer his work was largely in automotive vehicle testing, vehicle dynamics, manual control systems analysis, and vehicle simulations. This involved responsibility for organizing and managing various research programs sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Two of the most significant programs included the Development of Handling and Braking Test Procedures for Cars pulling Trailers, and the subsequent development of Handling and Braking Standards for Cars pulling Trailers. Other programs investigated the aerodynamic disturbances caused by busses and trucks passing cars and trailers, effects of roadway disturbances on vehicle handling and control, development of optimum vehicle handling characteristics, and the effects of tire intermix and suspension component degradations on vehicle handling.
Previous work in the automotive area involved analysis and testing of driver behavior, and the effects of alcohol on psychomotor tasks. Much of the experience in these areas was carried over from the aeronautical field, in which Mr. Klein was involved for many years. These, too, centered on manual control problems, handling qualities, stability, and simulations.
Prior to joining Systems Technology in 1967 Mr. Klein was engaged in the development of piloted aircraft simulations at North American Aviation, Inc. in Los Angeles.
