The objective of this study was to determine significant differences in the degree of initial damage resulting from corrosion and to assess the relevant influence of corrosion using vehicle-occupant loading criteria and test-vehicle damage and loading.

The BASt and RWTÜV Essen conducted a joint study of three different vehicle types to determine the pattems of impact behaviour resulting from corrosion. An older vehicle with corrosion damage and a younger vehicle with as little damage as possible were examined and tested in the impact test.

The frontal collision type was selected for the study. The vehicles with their different levels of upkeep revealed significant differences in both the corrosion level and in the results of the impact test.

A comparison of the results obtained from the impact tests revealed that initial corrosion damage had resulted in an unacceptable reduction in occupant safety levels in a number of aspects. One aspect which is particularly worrying is the fact that many weak spots contributing to a reduction in occupant protection were discovered for those vehicles which had only suffered low levels of corrosion and which would therefore have been expected to react as new vehicles.

One aspect of even graver consequence than the corrosion-related failure of vehicle components was the failure of the seat belts in two tests.