DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF ANTICIPATORY CRASH SENSORS FOR AUTOMOBILES

This report delineates the preferred means, potential effectiveness, and estimated costs of carrying out anticipatory sensing of automobile collisions. Actuation of passive restraint systems requires only a small advance warning to extend the protection of such safety devices to impact speeds of 30 to 60 mph - a range encompassing a large number of fatal and severe-injury accidents. This examination of means of achieving this function indicates that radar is the most promising crash sensing technique. Design, construction, and extensive test of prototype systems, accompanied by specific studies of component cost and reliability, show that an OEM price of $20 per unit (in volume of 10 to 6th power per year) should be attainable for systems exhibiting extremely high electronic reliability. However, due to inherent limitations of radar, such sensors are likely to detect only 60% to 80% of the major collision objects encountered. A very low rate of inadertent actuations is possible, occurring only in the course of certain minor (but high-speed) collisions. Potential benefits of full implementation are estimated to exceed presentation of 5000 deaths and 200,000 injuries annually. However, ultimate viability of anticipatory sensing systems will depend upon the use and effectiveness of improved vehicle structures and passive restraint systems.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • HOPKINS, J
  • Holmstrom, F Ross
  • Hazel, M
  • Abbott, R
• Publication Date: 1974-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 304 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Constraints; Crash injury research; Crash sensors; Fatalities; Prototype tests; Radar; Restraint systems; Safety equipment
• Old TRIS Terms: Passenger restraints; Passive constraints
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080598
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-NHTSA-73-6 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 6 1975 12:00AM