The Repeatability and Reproducibility of Proposed Test Procedures and Injury Criteria for Assessing Neck Injuries in Rear Impact

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has carried out a study looking at the repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed test procedures and injury criteria. For repeatability, 3 repeat tests were carried out on 3 different seats using a 16 km/h delta-V test pulse. To evaluate reproducibility, the same 3 seats were tested to a common protocol at 5 different test labs using two different test pulses (16 and 25 km/h delta-V). The sleds used included both acceleration and deceleration types. A wide range of acceleration, simple force/moment and combined force and moment injury criteria were evaluated. In general, repeatability of the sled pulses was reasonable but significant variations in pulses and test set up were found between laboratories. As a result, more precise procedures, test pulse corridors and an agreed definition of T sub zero (beginning of impact) are needed. Repeatability of most of the injury criteria at 16 km/h was acceptable but reproducibility was poor, with variations of up to 40% for some of the criteria. The situation was even worse at 25 km/h, with some criteria showing variations of over 100%. Great care therefore needs to be exercised in selecting appropriate injury criteria, in selecting the stringency of assessment limits and in comparing results from different laboratories. The variation in results also questions the use of high severity pulses for neck injury assessment.

• Record URL:
  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0340-O.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Adalian, Celine
  • Sferco, Raimondo
  • Fay, Paul
• Conference:
  • 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV)
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2005-6-6 to 2005-6-9
• Publication Date: 2005-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: Proceedings - 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV), Washington, D.C., June 6-9, 2005

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injuries; Laboratories; Neck; Rear end crashes; Sled tests; Test procedures
• Uncontrolled Terms: Injury assessment; Injury criteria; Repeatability; Reproducibility
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01066452
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 05-0340
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 11 2007 9:24AM