This paper describes side impact research conducted under the auspices of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA), formerly Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association 0f the United States, Inc. (MVMA). The AAMA has funded many research projects on side impact including component test device development, test procedure comparisons (USA, European and Composite), dummy evaluations (SID, BIOSID, EUROSID-1 and EUROSID), basic biomechanics, and padding characteristics. The research effort reported on here begins in 1982 with the coordinated government/industry project to develop and compare full-scale with subsystem side impact test procedures. Following the end of the coordinated research, AAMA members pursued a vigorous coordinated effort on their own. This research effort continues today considering such timely issues as appropriate injury criteria and lateral head impact. The paper discusses each research project, its objectives, pertinent conclusions and places the total research program into perspective.

The overall findings highlight the importance to harmonize the differences between the United States (USA) and European test procedures, dummies, and injury criteria. Further conclusions were that acceleration-based injury criteria indicated that stiff pads were effective in reducing the probability of injuries. However, deflection-based injury criteria (rib deflection and Viscous Criterion) indicated that softer padding would reduce injury risk. Cadaver test results were found to be sensitive to padding stiffness and padding type. The cadaver data correlated better with deflection-based criteria. The BIOSID dummy responded similarly to the cadavers in the abdominal region and the BIOSID thoracic rib maximum deflection predicted similar injury trends as seen in cadavers.