An analytical representation, based on a haversine acceleration function, is presented for' the passenger compartment in automobile-barrier crashes, car-to-car, both moving head-on, car-to-car one-stationary side and car-to-car one-stationary rear crashes. Characteristics of the airstop restraint /to be used initially for passengers but not the driver/, consisting of a chest airbag automatically inflated just before a crash to 0.1 to 0.3 psig, an inflated airseat, and in some applications a lap belt and inflated foot airbag, are presented on the basis of data for swing and drop tests, and experimental airplane crash tests. In this early period of restraint improvement without modifying car controls, it is suggested that the driver wear a more rigid restraint-lap belt and shoulder straps-permanently in place. A preliminary damped elastic model of the airstop system, having 1820 lb/ft spring constant, 3-cps resonance frequency, and 22 percent of critical damping, is utilised. For the most severe crash case, the barrier impact, it is shown on the basis of these models that the airstop restraint would convert a 30 mph probably fatal impact with present structures and lap belt /but without upper body support/ into a crash without injury if two feet of motion into the airbag system without bottoming were available. If cars cannot have this distance for controlled load isolation, it is suggested that a lap belt be used with a less deformable airseat, so that the system becomes essentially an upper body restraint addition to present lap belt restraints.
Abstract