Computer simulation, component testing, and sled tests often require the generation of suitable, derived acceleration time histories to define a collision event. These time histories have shape, amplitude, and duration characteristics. Suitable, derived acceleration time histories should be based on a particular vehicle’s response in a staged full scale crash test. A staged crash test includes instrumentation in order to measure acceleration time histories, force time histories and other engineering parameters. Analytical techniques are developed to derive acceleration time histories at different collision severities based on the measured acceleration time history in a particular crash test.