Nonrigid Barrier Design for Assessment of Automobile Aggressiveness.
Abstract
Crash testing of automobiles to improve safety features has been dominated by crash tests against a flat stationary barrier. Such tests do not effectively measure the characteristic known as vehicle aggressiveness. An aggressive automobile may, in the flat barrier impact test, provide a high level of protection for its own occupants. In a two-car collision, such a vehicle may render the survival of the occupants of the other car difficult or impossible to achieve. There are three types of aggressiveness: architectural aggressiveness, such as a very stiff bumper or fender; mass aggressiveness, such as an engine located in such a way that on impact with the struck car it will produce lethal penetration; and structural aggressiveness, where the overall structure of the vehicle is much stiffer than that of the struck car, thus forcing it to absorb most of the crash energy. A moving nonrigid crash barrier was designed to assess vehicle aggressiveness and crash survivability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA029849
Entities
People
- William M. Perrella Jr.