IMPACT PERFORMANCE OF SOME DESIGNS OF STEERING ASSEMBLY IN REAL ACCIDENTS AND UNDER TEST CONDITIONS

This paper describes the results of a three year field study into the crash performance of three basic designs of steering assembly, fitted to British cars. While one design, involving a large-area, self-aligning steering wheel mounted on a conventional column, appeared from the field data to be highly effective in preventing serious chest and abdominal injury, the two systems utilizing axial-collapse steering columns proved to be essentially ineffective in practice. A test program was undertaken to examine the procedures currently used to evaluate steering assemblies. It was found that tests carried out in compliance with FMVSS 203 failed to differentiate between the safe and unsafe systems described above. Additionally, it was noted that the mode of damage to the steering assemblies produced by normal testing was quite unlike anything seen to the field. Suggestions are made for alterations to present steering assembly testing techniques that will allow the impact equipment currently used to predict usefully the field performance of steering assemblies.

• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers

  485 Lexington Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10017
• Authors:
  • GLOYNS, P F
  • Mackay, G M
• Conference:
  • Stapp Car Crash Conference Proceedings
• Publication Date: 1974-12

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1-27
• Serial:
  • Volume: 18

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automotive engineering; Crash tests; Crashworthiness; Foreign automobiles; Steering wheels; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Old TRIS Terms: Foreign vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00083603
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE #741176
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM