SOME IDEAS ON CRASH ENERGY ABSORPTION

SEVERAL NEW IDEAS AND METHODS ARE PROPOSED ALONG WITH A BRIEF SURVEY OF ENERGY ABSORPTION MECHANICS AND METHODS. FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF RIGID BODY CRASH ENERGY ABSORPTION ARE REVIEWED, WITH APPROPRIATE CAUTIONS CONCERNING THE RESPONSES OF NONRIGID BODIES. DESIGN FOR HUMAN TOLERANCE IS DISCUSSED AND THE CONCLUSION IS REACHED THAT AN OPTIMUM VALUE OF DECELERATION EXISTS WHICH PROVIDES A MINIMUM SOCIAL LOSS FROM HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS. SMALL VEHICLES HAVE LOWER DAMAGE POTENTIALS THAN LARGE VEHICLES WITH KINETIC ENERGIES IN A CRASH SITUATION. HOWEVER, THEIR OCCUPANTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER INJURY AND DEATH. THE SMALLER VEHICLE CANNOT PROTECT ITSELF AGAINST THE KINETIC ENERGY OF THE LARGE VEHICLE. BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES OF SMALL VEHICLES, IT IS PROPOSED THAT ALL VEHICLES BE EQUIPPED TO PROTECT VEHICLES OF LOWER WEIGHTS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • PROC 18TH ANNUAL TECHNICAL MEETING
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Environmental Sciences

  940 East Northwest Highway
  Mount Prospect, IL  United States  60056
• Authors:
  • Schell, E H
• Publication Date: 1972-5

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 455-65

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compact automobiles; Crash injury research; Crashes; Energy absorption; Research
• Old TRIS Terms: Small car
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221776
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 20 1972 12:00AM