Evaluation of European and USA draft regulations for side-impact collisions

DeCoo, P. J. A.; Versmissen, A. C. M.; Janssen, E. G.; Wismans, J.

Affiliations

¹TNO Road-Vehicles Research Institute, The Netherlands

Abstract

Regulations on side-impact safety are being prepared in Europe as well as in the USA. Though on both continents regulations aim at the protection of occupants in the event of a side-impact collision, the drafts prescribe different test methods in which different types of side-impact dummies are used.

In the past, several studies were published on the subject. Some even proposed alternative test procedures that harmonized on certain fundamental test parameters, such as impactor weight and dimensions, impact speed, test configuration, dummy design and injury criteria (Xth ESV conference, Oxford, 1985).

This paper presents the rcsults of five full-scale side-impact tests, applied to identical vehicles. Onc pair of tests was carried out in accordance with the Draft EEC TRANS/SCI/WP29/GRCS/R.58 document including the 1987 EUROSID production prototype with soft arm design and one pair in accordance with the NHTSA proposal. The latter pair of tests included the 1986 SID. The fifth test was carried out with the EUROSID in the proposed NHTSA test setup in order to compare the performance and injury assessmet of the two side-impact dummies.

It is concluded that the NHTSA test represents a more severe test condition than the EEC test. Both dummies sustain the tests without damage. The injury prediction potential of the EUROSID exceeds the SID. Definitive injury tolerance levels for both dummies are urgently needed.

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Cited By (3)

Year	Entry
1989	Lowne RW. EEVC Working Group 9 report on the EEVC side impact test procedure. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). May 29–June 1, 1989; Göteborg, Sweden.950-953.
1989	Sakurai M, Harigae T, Ohmae H, Nakamura Y, Watanabe K. Study on side impact test methods. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). May 29–June 1, 1989; Göteborg, Sweden.983-993.
1989	Kanianthra JN, Trella TJ, Edwards SP. Safety performance evaluation of production vehicles in side impacts using the modeling approach. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). May 29–June 1, 1989; Göteborg, Sweden.1055-1071.