Compatibility in the CALSPAN research safety vehicle.

Author(s)
Fabian, G.J.
Year
Abstract

IN THE CONTEXT OF CRASHWORTHINESS AND ACCIDENTS, COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN COLLIDING VEHICLES IMPLIES THAT THE STRIKING VEHICLE IS NOT OVERLY AGGRESSIVE, THE ABSORPTION OF CRASH ENERGY IS SHARED BY BOTH VEHICLES, AND HENCE THE INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS OF THE STRUCK VEHICLE ARE MINIMIZED. PHYSICALLY, THIS CAN MEAN BOTH VEHICLES CRUMPLE AND CRUSH PROPORTIONATELY OR THAT THE FRONT END OF THE STRIKING VEHICLE WILL MESH WITH A SIMILARLY STRONG PART OF THE STRUCK VEHICLE IN A MANNER TO LOAD ITS RESISTIVE STRUCTURES SUCH AS THE BUMPER OR SILL RATHER THAN HITTING THE CENTRE OF THE GRILL OR SIDE OR DOOR OF THE CAR WHERE THERE IS LITTLE RESISTANCE TO INTRUSION. THE EFFECT OF IMPROVED COMPATIBILITY IS TO MINIMIZE INTRUSION INTO THE STRUCK VEHICLE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT AND THE CONSEQUENT INJURY TO ITS OCCUPANTS. COMPATIBILITY CAN BE CONSIDERED AT ALL SPEEDS. IN ADDITION TO REDUCING PEDESTRIAN INJURY, THE RSV SOFT BUMPERS ENHANCE ITS COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER VEHICLES IN LOW SPEED, PARKING LOT TYPE OF ACCIDENTS AND TEND TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE TO BOTH THE IMPACTED OBJECT AND ITSELF. THE FRONT STRUCTURE OF THE RSV HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO COLLAPSE BEHIND THE BUMPER WHEN THE MAXIMUM NON-DAMAGE COMPRESSION OF THE FOAM HAS BEEN REACHED. THIS ACTION WILL TEND TO REDUCE INTRUSION INTO AN IMPACTED VEHICLE AT LOW ROAD SPEEDS. HOWEVER, TO PROTECT ITS OWN OCCUPANTS, THE STRIKING VEHICLE MUST ALSO BE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INCREASED RESISTANCE DURING THE FINAL PORTION OF THE CRUSH OF THE FRONT STRUCTURE IN ORDER TO ABSORB THE ENERGY OF HIGH-SPEED CRASHES WITHOUT SERIOUS INTRUSION INTO ITS OCCUPANT COMPARTMENT. THE PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE COMPLIANT RSV FROM BUMPER AND HOOD IS IN EFFECT, A SPECIAL CASE; HERE THE COMPRESSION RESISTANCE, DEFLECTION, AND RESULTING INJURY-PRODUCING FORCES ATTENDANT TO THE PRIMARY IMPACT ARE A FUNCTION OF THE AREA IMPACTED. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 3 SEE IRRD 266048. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.

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Publication

Library number
C 51184 (In: B 19320 S [electronic version only]) /91 / IRRD 266056
Source

In: Proceedings of the eighth international technical conference on experimental safety vehicles (ESV), held in Wolfsburg, October 21-24, 1980, p. 153-66 (2 Photos; 13 Figs.; 13 Refs.)

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This publication is one of our other publications, and part of our extensive collection of road safety literature, that also includes the SWOV publications.