Collision performance of automotive seat systems has been a subject of inquiry since crash research was in its infancy. However, when federal standards were initiated in 1968 regarding seat system performance, they became the baseline for automotive design, and later became the topic of numerous debates in terms of occupant crash force and energy management. This subject of energy management as it relates to seat design has been extended and expanded in the current time period.

This paper will discuss current design trends in automotive seat design collision performance in terms of new data recently becoming available. Also, due to recent proposals and discussion regarding modification of FMVSS 207, a review of seatback performance data in a dynamic environment will be presented. Any proposals regarding the modification of FMVSS 207 require careful evaluation and quantification of seat system goals. Identification and establishment of beneficial characteristics of seat structures and how these characteristics can be evaluated in both static and dynamic environments is crucial before any discussion of seat system performance goals can be established.

Since approximately 1993, the Federal Government has conducted a substantial number of rear-end crash tests that provide new data that can be utilized to evaluate and better understand the static and dynamic performance of automotive seat systems. Procedures for evaluation and analysis of this data will be discussed, along with a review of current energy management capabilities of seat systems. Recent research on the energy analysis of rear impact collision exposures will also be included and discussed.