Research into new side impact test based on accidents in Europe and Japan

Fujiwara, Taisuke; Murayama, Hiroyuki

Affiliations

Abstract

The current test procedures described in European and Japanese side impact regulations and ratings are conducted so that a non-crabbed Mobile Deformable Barrier (MDB) strikes a stationary test vehicle. However, in real-world accidents, many struck vehicles are not stationary but moving when the collision occurs. In consequence, it is advantageous to consider the velocity of the struck vehicles as well as that of the striking vehicles.

Accordingly, data of accidents occurring in Europe and Japan was analyzed. This accident data analysis showed that in both regions, more accidents occurred when struck vehicles were moving than when stationary. Consequently, car-to-car side impact tests were conducted using a moving target vehicle to comprehend the real-world deformation characteristics of the struck vehicle. Two side impact tests were then conducted using the Advanced European - Mobile Deformable Barrier (AE-MDB) Ver. 3.3, which represents the front-end stiffness of vehicles in Europe and Japan. The tests were conducted so that the AE-MDB struck both stationary and moving vehicles to compare the differences between the two scenarios. The test results indicated that larger and more severe peak intrusion level can be seen on stationary vehicles, but different types of deformation mode were seen between the stationary and moving vehicles. Based on these results, a new side impact test procedure using AE-MDB Ver. 3.3 was devised. The AE-MDB trolley was moved at a crabbed angle to reflect the moving condition of the target vehicle. This procedure represents a more common accident scenario that occurs in the real-world, and it allows for the direction of load applied to the struck vehicle to be taken into consideration. Such a test procedure that represents a more common real-world accident scenario is useful to further advance vehicle safety in side impacts.

Links

URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv20/07-0219-O.pdf

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Cited By (1)

Year	Entry
2009	Fujiwara T, Shigeta K. Development of moving deformable barrier reproducing struck car deformation in real-world car-to-car side impact accidents in Europe and Japan. In: Proceedings of the 21st International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 15-18, 2009; Stuttgart, Germany.