CRASH COURSE IN SAFETY

After giving a brief review of automobile safety research both in the U.S. and in Great Britain, this article focuses on Britain's Transport and Road Research Laboratory Crashworthiness Ratings. This program aims to educate the public about test results and to create competition among car makers. The rating is based on three TRRL standard crash test procedures--a 36-37 mph frontal impact of the car with a barrier angled at 30 degrees, a 22 mph impact by a barrier representing a car hitting the side at the driver's position, and a series of impacts in which objects representing occupants' heads, knees and legs hit various points within the car as they would during an accident. There is a total of 40 measurements, used to produce an "all--round" estimate of the results of a crash, to avoid having a car's rating distorted by just one or two aspects of its performance.

• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Specialist and Professional Press Limited

  Surrey House, 1 Throwley Way
  Sutton, Surrey SM1 4QQ,   England 
• Publication Date: 1984-6-16

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 42-44
• Serial:
  • Motor
  • Volume: 166
  • Issue Number: 4257

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Consumers; Crash tests; Crashes; Crashworthiness; Ratings; Safety engineering; Testing
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392245
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-037 346
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 30 1985 12:00AM