SITTING IN OUR STEAD: CRASH DUMMIES TAKE THE HARD KNOCKS FOR ALL OF US

This article discusses crash dummies, who act as stunt doubles for human beings in automobile crashes. They repeatedly crash into walls to show what would happen to us. GM engineers say 30% of their crashes are to make sure new cars meet federal safety regulations. The rest are to work out bugs in prototype cars or equipment. Each instrumented dummy costs nearly $100,000. There are "50th Percentile males", an average Joe of 5 feet 8 and 170 pounds, a "5th Percentile Female", who is small enough to serve also as a teenager, and children in assorted sizes. These dummies test airbag deployment, side impact airbags, air bags when the individual is belted (and not), air bags when the individual is slumped over the steering wheel, and other crash variables. Side impact tests, and leg injuries are relatively new areas of investigation, as are tests for air bags deploying out of the sides of the steering wheel column. The crash dummies are instrumented to measure the impacts of injuries under different crash conditions.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00377333
• Corporate Authors:

  Smithsonian Associates

  900 Jefferson Drive, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20560
• Authors:
  • Wolkomir, R
• Publication Date: 1995-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 29-41
• Serial:
  • Smithsonian
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Smithsonian Associates
  • ISSN: 0037-7333

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Adults; Air bags; Children; Crash tests; Crashes; Dummies; Fatalities; Injuries; Measuring instruments; Regulations; Safety; Seat belts; Side crashes; Steering wheels; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Air bag deployment
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00743737
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-041 518
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 4 2002 12:00AM