Seventeen side impact sled tests were performed using a horizontally accelerated sled and a Heidelberg-type seat fixture. In these tests the subject’s whole body impacted a sidewall with one of three surface conditions:​ 1) a flat, rigid side wall, 2) a side wall with a 6" pelvic offset, or 3) a flat, padded side wall. This series of runs provided a good test of how injury criteria perform under a variety of impact surface conditions. In this study thoracic injury criteria based on force, acceleration, compression, and velocity x compression were evaluated. Biomechanical response and injury tolerance of the thorax are also presented.