Radar Measurements of NHTSA’s Surrogate Vehicle SS_V

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks to objectively quantify the performance of forward-looking advanced technologies such as Crash Imminent Braking (CIB) and Dynamic Brake Support (DBS) on the test track. Since these evaluations are expected to result in collisions between the subject vehicle (SV) and a principal other vehicle (POV) positioned directly in front of it, safety necessitates that the POV be a surrogate. However, to insure the tests will provide an accurate assessment of the SV’s CIB and/or DBS capabilities, the surrogate must present as realistic. One way “realism” must be quantified involves a surrogate’s radar return characteristics. The tests described in this report were performed to assess the radar return characteristics of NHTSA’s Strikeable Surrogate Vehicle (SS_V), a test target visually similar to a small hatchback. This work was performed by Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) and the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) on August 5, 2012 and October 11, 2012 under U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT)/NHTSA contracts DTNH22-12-P-0158 and DTNH22-12-P-01638, respectively. The tests performed indicate the SS_V is a viable surrogate for automotive safety tests where the SV approaches a POV from the tail-aspect.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash%20Avoidance/Technical%20Publications/2013/811817.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Michigan Tech Research Institute

  Michigan Technological University, 3600 Green Court, Suite 100
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48105

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Vehicle Research and Test Center, P.O. Box 37
  East Liberty, OH  United States  43319

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Buller, William
  • Wilson, Brian
  • Ebling, James
  • van Nieuwstadt, Line
  • Hart, Benjamin
  • Forkenbrock, Garrick
• Publication Date: 2013-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 115p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash tests; Dynamic braking; Radar cross section; Rear end crashes; Test tracks; Test vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I80: Accident Studies; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01493383
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 811 817, NHTSA/NVS-312
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-12-P-0158; DTNH22-12-P-01638
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 20 2013 9:04AM