STATUS OF INTERIOR MODIFICATION PROJECT (FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 214, SIDE DOOR STRENGTH--UPGRADE)

The project being conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Safety Research Laboratory in support of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214 (Side Door Strength) upgrade is described. The project was designed to develop a sled buck that will reproduce the occupant environment of the Volkswagen Rabbit in a crash test, and to demonstrate a suitable padding restraint material for the Rabbit interior. Side impact crash environment parameters were defined; interior geometry of the door, sill, and floor relative to the occupant; stiffness of interior door panel during occupant contact; door acceleration and velocity time histories; and direction of compartment motion. The door stiffness and compartment motion parameters required additional tests to supplement previous crash test data. A side impact sled buck reproducing the occupant crash environment has the following unique characteristics: adjustable door stiffness mechanism, adjustable angle platform, and faithful reproduction of Rabbit interior geometry. The padding selection process will involve initial screening of materials via manufacturer/supplier contacts; component testing to isolate thorax responses using a side impact dummy; sled buck testing; and full-scale car-to-car crashes of the final padding design (May-Jun 1980).

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published in HS-805 614, "Side Impact Conference," pp 87-99. Conference held in Washington D.C., 31 Jan-1 Feb 1980.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Monk, M
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Pagination: 3 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Crash injury research; Doors; Side crashes; Sled tests; Standards; Thorax; Vehicle padding; Vehicle safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Interior
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00368388
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-805 682
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1982 12:00AM