ENERGY-ABSORBING STEERING COLUMN SUCCESSFULLY REDUCES INJURY BUT NEW IMPACT PATTERNS EMERGE

FIRST YEAR'S EXPERIENCE WITH COLLAPSIBLE STEERING COLUMNS SHOWS THAT INJURY SEVERITY IS REDUCED, EVEN IN HIGH SPEED FRONT-END COLLISIONS; INJURY INCREASES WITH CRASH SEVERITY; THE LOAD REQUIRED TO CRUSH THE COLUMN DOES NOT PRODUCE INJURY; THERE IS A GREATER CHANCE OF THE HEAD STRIKING THE VEHICLE INTERIOR, GENERALLY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN FRONT OF THE STEERING WHEEL; AND THE COLUMN DOES NOT ALWAYS COLLAPSE AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO, CAUSING INJURY FROM THE DEFORMED STEERING WHEEL. /HSL/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 77, No 5, PP 60-64
• Authors:
  • Lundstrom, L C
  • Cichowski, W G
  • Huelke, D F
  • Chewning, W A
  • PATRICK, L M
  • Van Kirk, J
  • GARRETT, J W
• Publication Date: 1969-5

Media Info

• Serial:
  • SAE Journal of Automotive Engineering
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Collapse; Crash severity; Energy absorption; Frontal crashes; Injuries; Instrument panels; Steering gears; Steering wheels
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220603
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 19 1970 12:00AM