THE DIFFERENT, SEMANTIC USE OF PROBLEM-RELEVANT TERMS IS PROVING AN INCREASING OBSTACLE TO UNDERSTANDING AMONG DIFFERENT EXPERTS AND AUTHORS OF TECHNICAL LITERATURE. WHEN IS A VEHICLE SAFE, WHEN IS IT COMPATIBLE, WHAT IS RISK OF INJURY? THESE ARE ONLY A FEW OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TERMS WHOSE MEANING DIFFERS FROM AUTHOR TO AUTHOR, FROM AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER TO AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER, FROM COUNTRY TO COUNTRY. AS A RESULT OF THEIR WORK IN VARIOUS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES, THE AUTHORS OF THIS PAPER ARE CONSTANTLY CONFRONTED WITH THE PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION OF SUCH TERMS. DRAWING ON THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED AND THE EFFECTS OF STIPULATIONS, THE AUTHORS IN THE PAPER ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN SUCH TERMS ON AN APPLICATION-ORIENTED BASIS, TO DEFINE THEM AND TO SUPPLEMENT, OR AT LEAST ROUND OFF, THE "STRUCTURE" BY MEANS OF NEW TERMS. THIS PAPER IS INTENDED NOT ONLY TO BE AN AID TO EXPERTS IN INFORMING OTHERS OF THEIR RESULTS BUT IS ALSO AIMED AT ENABLING THE READER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BECOME RATHER COMPLEX MATERIAL.(A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Abstract