EXPERIMENTAL SAFETY VEHICLES EMPHASIZE CRASHWORTHINESS

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY BUREAU HAS LET THREE CONTRACTS TO BUILD PROTOTYPE SAFETY VEHICLES, OF WHICH TWO ARE TO BE DELIVERED LATE IN 1971 AND THE THIRD 10 MONTHS LATER. SPECIFICATIONS CALL FOR SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN ENERGY ABSORPTION, OCCUPANT RESTRAINT, AND A THREE INCH LIMIT ON PASSENGER COMPARTMENT INTRUSION. THE EXPERIMENTAL VEHICLE WILL BE A 5-PASSENGER, 4-DOOR SEDAN WITH A MAXIMUM WHEELBASE OF 124 INCHES AND OVERALL LENGTH OF 220 INCHES. TOP WEIGHT IS 4200 LB. THE BUMPER/VEHICLE SUBSYSTEM IS TO HAVE A VELOCITY-SENSITIVE STROKE OF AT LEAST 9 INCHES AND MUST BEGIN IN ANY IMPACT ABOVE 10 MPH. A DIAGRAM SHOWS THE REQUIRED PROPORTIONALITY OF PERMISSIBLE G'S TO IMPACT VELOCITY. POSTIMPACT ACCELERATION IS TO REAMIN CONSTANT WITHIN 25% THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE CRASH. UPWARD AND LATERAL STABILITY OF THE BUMPER IS SPECIFIED. THE INTRUSION REQUIREMENT APPLIES TO BOTH FRONT AND REAR COLLISIONS. THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM WILL PROTECT EACH SEATING POSITION AND WILL DEPLOY IN IMPACTS ABOVE 10 MPH TO PREVENT EJECTION, ASSURE THAT HEAD ACCELERATIONS DO NOT EXCEED 80 G FOR MORE THAN 3 MSEC, LIMIT CHEST ACCELERATIONS TO 60 G, AND LIMIT THE FORCE TRANSMITTED TO THE PELVIS THROUGH THE FEMUR TO 1400 LB IN FRONT AND LATERAL BARRIER CRASHES AND ROLLOVER. THE FRONTAL COLLISIONS WILL BE AT SPEEDS UP TO 50 MPH AND ANGLES OF 30 DEG FROM THE PERPENDICULAR; LATERAL IMPACTS ARE TO BE AT 15 MPH. ALL CONTROLS AND INTERIOR PROTRUSIONS WILL BE RECESSED OR, WHERE THIS IS IMPRACTICAL, FRANGIBLE OR CRUSHABLE. IMPACTABLE SURFACES ARE TO LIMIT BODY DECELERATIONS TO 60 G THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN CRUSH OF THE VEHICLE. IN REAR IMPACTS, A MAXIMUM ACCELERATION OF 40 G WILL BE ALLOWED IN 50-MPH CRASHES. OTHER SAFETY FEATURES ARE DESCRIBED UNDER THE HEADINGS SIDE SWIPE, ROLLOVER, FUEL SPILLAGE, ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE, STEERING, HANDLING, DIRECTIONAL STABILITY, BRAKING, AND VISIBILITY. CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS ALSO COVER LINGHTING, ENGINE, CONTROLS, VEHICLE ACCELERATION, FIRE PREVENTION, AND EMERGENCY EGRESS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 79, No 1, PP 54-57, 5 FIG, 2 TAB
• Publication Date: 1971-1

Media Info

• Serial:
  • SAE Journal of Automotive Engineering
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Automobiles; Constraints; Control; Crashes; Deceleration; Design; Energy absorption; Force; Impacts; Prototypes; Safety; Vehicle front end; Vehicle occupants
• Uncontrolled Terms: Experimental design; Interior
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223411
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 10 1971 12:00AM