This paper presents an overview of research in progress. The research examines the interaction between roadside barriers, cars and their passive safety systems. The potential for optimising safety for the occupants of vehicles colliding with barriers is discussed. By bringing together vehicle designers, with designers and operators of the road infrastructure, it is argued that society can be provided with a crashworthy road transport system, that is, a system that operates within the limits of human tolerance to violent forces. The paper describes a crash testing program involving a number of high-speed crashes into several barrier types in common use in Australian and/or in Europe. Though the full set of results of the testing program is not yet available, some initial results are presented for just two of the eight tests conducted. The analysis of test data is continuing, with the main findings expected to be presented over coming months. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E202589.
Abstract