Vehicle collision force in offset barrier and car to car offset tests

Ishikawa, Hirotoshi; Digges, Kennerly H.; Ennis, Jason B.

This paper examines the location, magnitude and direction of crash forces acting on vehicles during frontal offset crashes. Both car-to-car and car to deformable barrier are examined.

A frame by frame analysis of crash test films permits the principal crash force vector to be positioned relative to the vehicle’s plane of deformation and center of gravity. Tests with left side overlaps conducted in North America are analyzed. The resulting analysis shows that the vehicle rotates first clockwise and then counterclockwise. The change in rotation is caused by a reversal in the direction of the lateral crash force. The analysis shows subtle differences in the transverse and rotational forces when comparing car-to-car and car to deformable barrier offset tests. These differences may influence the forces on the lower leg and the rebound kinematics of the occupant.

Year

Entry

1994

Lowne RW; EEVC Working Group 11 Transport Research Laboratory, United Kingdom. EEVC working group 11 report on the development of a front impact test procedure. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 23-26, 1994; Munich, Germany.1334-1351.

1995

Thomas P, Charles J, Fay P. Lower limb injuries: the effect of intrusion, crash severity and the pedals on injury risk and injury type in frontal collisions. In: Proceedings of the 39th Stapp Car Crash Conference. November 8-10, 1995; San Diego, CA. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:265-280. SAE 952728.

1994

O’Neill B, Lund AK, Zuby DS, Preuss CA. Offset frontal impacts: a comparison of real-world crashes with laboratory tests. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 23-26, 1994; Munich, Germany.649-670.

1994

Griffiths M, Coxon C, Pettigrew I, De forest R, Caldwell P, Stolinski R. Australia’s New Car Assessment Program=. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 23-26, 1994; Munich, Germany.1420-1426.

1994

Hollowell WT, Hitchcock RJ. Improved frontal impact crash test data. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 23-26, 1994; Munich, Germany.1372-1376.