DISTANCES TO WHICH SPLINTERS OF GLASS ARE THROWN. AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

SPLITTERWURFWEITEN. EEINE EXPERIMENTELLE UNTERSUCHUNG

The position of fragments of glass at the site of an accident helps to define the point of the accident and the vehicle speed. The reliability of the results of model studies should not be over-assessed. To clarify the conditions experiments were undertaken on the relation between driving speed during the destruction of the windscreen and distances which the fragments of glass are thrown. The test rig is described. The throwing mechanism is different in forward control vehicles and vehicles with a bonnet. This is described in detail. In addition disturbance factors have to be considered and these have to be assessed individually in each case. A dragging of glass fragments through the flow of air under the car was not established up to speeds of 40 metres per second. However, the tyres may pick up the fragments as they pass over them, causing them to be dragged in the eddy. During very fast acceleration on a field of splinters, the latter may be pushed back against the direction of travel. The effect of the height of the windscreen is slight. Fragments of headlamp glass are thrown about the same distance as forward control vehicle windscreen glass. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Information Verlag

  Obere Hauptstrasse 13, Postfach 131
  D-7634 Kippenheim,   Germany 
• Authors:
  • BRAUN, H
• Publication Date: 1980

Language

• German

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 37-43
• Serial:
  • Verkehrsunfall
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Information Verlag

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Crash investigation; Crash reconstruction; Distance; Glass; Headlamps; Loss and damage; Motor vehicles; On the scene crash investigation; Speed; Tests; Traffic crashes; Traffic speed; Trucks; Windshields
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Old TRIS Terms: Fragmented materials
• ITRD Terms: 1243: Car; 1614: Damage; 4547: Glass; 1236: Lorry; 1611: On the spot accident investigation; 1621: Reconstruction (accid); 6255: Test; 1311: Windscreen (veh)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00330693
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 21 1981 12:00AM