INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION OF SIDE IMPACT STANDARDS: VEHICLE DESIGN AND THORACIC INJURY CRITERIA TRENDS

This paper presents a computational study of the effects of three vehicle parameters on the resulting thoracic injury criteria in side impacts. The parameters evaluated are: a) door velocity-time (V-t) profile; b) the effective modulus of the door interior; and c) initial door-to-occupant offset. Regardless of door modulus, initial offset, or the criterion used to assess injury, higher peak door velocity is shown to correspond with more severe injury. Injury outcome is not, however, found to be sensitive to the door velocity at the time of occupant contact. A larger initial offset generally is found to result in lower injury, even when the larger offset results in a higher door velocity at occupant contact, because the increased offset results in contact later in the door V-t profile - closer to the point at which the door velocity begins to decrease. Cases of contradictory injury criteria trends are identified, particularly in response to changes in the door modulus. Maximum chest deflection and maximum viscous criterion gradually decrease as the door modulus increases. TTI, however, increases with some increases in door modulus. Complex interactions among the three parameters are observed, and their interpretation is shown to depend on the specific injury criterion analyzed. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/14775360
• Corporate Authors:

  Inderscience Enterprises Limited

  World Trade Center Building, 110 Avenue Louis Casai
  Geneva,   Switzerland 
• Authors:
  • Kent, R
  • Crandall, J
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 158-72
• Serial:
  • International Journal of Vehicle Design
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue Number: 1/2
  • Publisher: Inderscience Enterprises Limited
  • ISSN: 1477-5360
  • Serial URL: http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=IJVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash severity; Design; Doors (Vehicles); Injuries; Injury severity; International; Side crashes; Standardization; Thorax; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Side
• ITRD Terms: 1357: Car door; 9011: Design (overall design); 1357: Door (car); 1357: Door lock; 2163: Injury; 9034: International; 1357: Lock (car door); 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 9074: Side; 1630: Side impact; 9075: Standardization; 2083: Thorax; 1255: Vehicle
• Subject Areas: Design; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00962749
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Sep 3 2003 12:00AM