Accident data, from many countries, have identified the head and face as the body region most frequently injured in frontal car collisions. The steering wheel is one of the ear interior components most responsible for these injuries.

This investigation conducted comparative performance tests of energy absorption characteristics for a number of current production steering wheels. Emphasis was on evaluating the performance of steering wheels in Australian cars. This paper describes the development of a test procedure which provides information on the performance variability between steering wheel types. Features that contribute towards better performance were also identified. The test involved the head of a Hybrid III dummy impacting against the steering wheel, and the resulting Head Injury Criterion (HIC) value used to compare steering wheels. Comparative testing was also conducted using the Deformable Load Sensing Face (DLSF).

The test methodology proved reliable and repeatable. An analysis of the comparative testing reinforces the view that significant differences in injury potential exist, due to steering wheel styling differences.