INCREASED ENERGY ABSORPTION BY CAR INTERIOR CAN HELP REDUCE INJURIES FROM CAR CRASHES
THE EFFECT OF VEHICLE DECELERATION-TIME WAVE SHAPE ON THE RIDEDOWN BEHAVIOR OF THE OCCUPANT DURING A RIGHT-ANGLE CRASH WAS ANALYZED. RIDEDOWN BENEFITS ARE DEPENDENT PRIMARILY ON OCCUPANT SPACING AND VEHICLE EXTERNAL CRUSH. THE MOST DIRECT AND PRACTICAL WAY TO REDUCE INJURIES AND DEATHS FROM FRONT- END COLLISIONS IS TO IMPROVE THE VEHICLE INTERIOR ENERGY ABSORPTION BEHAVIOR. THE THEORETICAL RIDEDOWN POTENTIAL OF CONVENTIONAL VEHICLES CAN BE IMPROVED BY DESIGNING THE STRUCTURE SO AS TO REDUCE THE RISE TIME OF THE DECELERATION- TIME HISTORY. THE RIDEDOWN MECHANISM, IS A VALID MEANS OF REDUCING OCCUPANT IMPACT SEVERITY. THE MATHEMATICAL DUMMY- VEHICLE MODEL IS DESCRIBED WHICH IS USED TO PROVIDE A REASONABLE EVALUATION OF RELATIVE OCCUPANT IMPACT SEVERITIES FOR DIFFERENT VEHICLE CRASH CHARACTERISTICS. A COMPUTER PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS OF DATA OBTAINED IN THESE STUDIES. DATA SUMMARIES ARE PRESENTED IN TABLES FOR TWO DIFFERENT CAR DECELERATION WAVE SHAPES, FOR AN UNBELTED DRIVER IN 20 MPH AND 30 MPH BARRIER CRASHES, AND FOR LAP-BELTED DRIVERS IN 20 AND 30 MPH BARRIER CRASHES.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 76, No 1, PP 52-59, 4 FIG, 4 TAB
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Authors:
- Martin, D E
- Kroell, C K
- Danforth, J P
- Gadd, C W
- Publication Date: 1968-1
Media Info
- Serial:
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Computer programs; Crash injury research; Deceleration; Dummies; Energy absorption; Impacts; Manual safety belts; Mathematical models; Vehicle occupants
- Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Research; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00219973
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jun 18 1994 12:00AM