A comparison of real world frontal impacts and staged crash tests

Real world evaluations of motor vehicle crash protection safety features require measures for quantifying impact severity. Velocity change (delta-V) is the primary descriptor of collision severity used in most databases of real world crash information. Historically, the delta-V has been calculated using conventional accident reconstruction techniques such as damage or momentum analysis. A major shortcoming of the sole use of delta-V as a measure of crash severity is the lack of information on the timing of the velocity change, the delta-T of the collision event. Late model vehicles equipped with event data recorders record the time history of the delta-V during the crash pulse. The average deceleration that occurs over different time durations can often be readily calculated from the data recorded by the EDR. This paper examines the recorded longitudinal delta-V data for 104 real world collisions involving 1996 to 2005 Chevrolet Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires that were equipped with event data recorders. The real world crash pulse data is compared to similar data for staged crash tests. The relationship between longitudinal delta-V and deceleration is evaluated for different frontal impact modes.

• Authors:
  • McClafferty, K
  • Green, R
  • Tiessen, P
  • Brown, J
  • Germain, A
  • Comeau, J -
• Conference:
  • Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference, 17th, 2007, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Publication Date: 2007-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference XVII, June 3-6, 2007, Montreal, Quebec

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash reconstruction; Crash severity; Crash tests; Data collection; Deceleration; Frontal crashes; Vehicle safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Road safety (engineering and vehicles)
• ATRI Terms: Crash reconstruction; Crash severity; Crash test; Data collection; Deceleration; Head on crash; Vehicle safety
• Subject Areas: Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01386955
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 9:56PM