Developing a crush profile estimate by balancing impact forces.

Author(s)
Grimes, W.D. Heusser, R. Hunter, J. & Neptune, J.A.
Year
Abstract

There are many collisions in which the "standard" analysis methods are not sufficient to complete an analysis. Many times the points of rest for the vehicles are not documented or the vehicles were "driven" to the points of rest. There are also cases in which one of the vehicles is repaired prior to being documented. In these cases, there is a method that can be used to establish the approximated speed change of the vehicles. This method involves using the crush profile of one of the vehicles and balancing the opposing forces across the crush profile to determine an equivalent crush depth on the undocumented vehicle. Using this "balanced forces" method requires a detailed crush profile of one of the vehicles and good stiffness data for both vehicles. The method is not as accurate as standard methods because of the unknowns, but yields reasonable results for the speed change severity for the vehicles involved. This paper discusses the theory of the method, and presents two example cases. (A)

Request publication

5 + 6 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Publication

Library number
C 10614 (In: C 10613 [electronic version only]) /91 / IRRD 899759
Source

In: Accident reconstruction : technology and animation VII : papers presented at the International Congress & Exposition, Detroit, Michigan, February 24-27, 1997, SAE technical paper 970942, p. 1-20, 3 ref.

Our collection

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