This paper investigates the issue of geometric incompatibility between vehicles involved in T-bone side impact crashes. Some illustrative examples and case histories are presented that clearly demonstrate how a bullet vehicle, with a high front bumper region and a raised bonnet with a very stiff facia, intrudes significantly into the soft section of a sedan shaped car resulting in severe head and chest trauma. Experimental results of two T-bone crash tests - a sedan car into a sedan car and a Four Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicle into a sedan car - are described. The paper also presents a MADYMO simulation of a tram impacting the side of a car demonstrating how head strike of the struck vehicle's near side occupant can result in severe head injury at speeds as low as 35 km/h. The authors conclude with some discussion of how the front of vehicles should be designed so as to eliminate the possibility of severe intrusion and head strike in such crashes.
Abstract