The Hybrid III 5th percentile ATD wasseated in positions and subject to crash configurations that differ from those specified in regulatory protocols. The test sample included 88 moving car-to-moving car frontal offset tests with a 40% overlap and 9 full-frontal rigid barrier tests. The Hybrid III 5th percentile ATD was seated on the right side of the first- and second-row seats of vehicles in the sample, with the first-row seat in the mid or rearmost track position. Comparisons of kinematic and kinetic responses between first- and second-row ATDs showed greater head accelerations, neck loads, chest deflections, and chest and pelvis accelerations in the second row than in the first only when the second-row belt assembly did not include a pretensioner. In all seating positions, the peak thoracic deflection measured by the RibEye system was better correlated to shoulder belt loading than the peak deflection measured by the central chest potentiometer. In the second row only, differences in the relative accelerations between the chest and pelvis during the onset to peak was associated with changes in ATD motions as well as peak responses at the head, neck, chest, and pelvis. Elevated responses observed in second-row seats may be linked to the rigid non-humanlike posture of the ATD. Optimizing protection for passengers not seated in the foremost seat track location of the first-row passenger seat will require enhanced ATD designs to better replicate the motion of human occupants and advanced measurement tools to more precisely quantify responses. These tools will become increasingly important as alternative modes of transportation, such as autonomous vehicles and shuttles, replace the family vehicle.
Keywords:
Hybrid III 5th percentile; frontal impact; chest deflection; RibEye sensor; second-row seats