THE EFFECT OF IMPACT TYPE AND VEHICLE VELOCITY ON VEHICLE CRUSH CHARACTERISTICS

This paper analyzes data from 48 crash tests involving four types of frontal barrier impact and five car models. Vehicle crush coefficients are derived, and a method is described to optimize these coefficients over a range of tests. Crush coefficients are calculated for full frontal barrier impacts, 30 deg angled barrier impacts, central pole impacts, and off-center pole impacts for each of the five car models. Then, by assuming a fixed threshold of damage for each type of impact, a method is described to derive directly the vehicle stiffness coefficients. Using this technique, the variation in vehicle stiffness as a function of vehicle test speed for full frontal barrier impacts is explored. Finally, the variations in the crush coefficients are discussed in relation to the CRASH3 accident reconstruction program to assess the effect on estimating velocity change. (Author/TRRL)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the 27th Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas, October 3-6, 1983.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  P.O. Box 222
  Morton Grove, IL  United States  60053
• Authors:
  • Jones, I S
• Conference:
  • 27TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE
  • Location: San Antonio Texas, United States
  • Date: 1983-10-3 to 1983-10-6
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 211-230
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA, OCTOBER 3-6, 1983. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Coefficients; Computer programs; Conferences; Crash reconstruction; Crash tests; Crashes; Data analysis; Deformation; Frontal crashes; Loss and damage; Mathematical analysis; Methodology; Motor vehicles; Recording; Scale models; Speed; Stiffness; Structural models; Support poles; Testing; Traffic speed
• ITRD Terms: 1243: Car; 8525: Conference; 1614: Damage; 5595: Deformation; 1640: Head on collision; 1648: Impact test (crash); 9102: Method; 6205: Model (not math); 3312: Pole; 1621: Reconstruction (accid); 6969: Recording; 8645: Software; 5408: Speed; 5931: Stiffness
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I80: Accident Studies; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389441
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: HSL, ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM