The objective of the RSV Program was to provide research and test data applicable to the automobile safety performance requirements for the mid-1980s, and to evaluate the compatibility of these requirements with environmental policies, efficient energy utilization, and consumer economic considerations. The program was designed to answer the question, "Can small fuel-efficient cars be made safe??" and to address such topics as: How safe should cars in general, and small cars in particular, be? What technologies will be required to make them this safe? Are these technologies feasible? Can they be, or have they been, sufficiently developed to justify the promulgation of more stringent safety standards? The RSV Program has demonstrated that it is possible to make cars much safer than they are presently. It has produced automobile designs that are consistent, at affordable cost, with the national objectives for fuel economy and environmental protection. It has indicated, at least to a limited degree, that the technological findings are applicable, at varying levels, to a variety of car designs. And it has provided evidence that these findings can be wrapped in a package of considerable appeal to the public. This Final Report is a comprehensive compilation of the findings of the Phase III efforts of Minicars, Inc. It describes the design and testing of the RSV systems, and the performance levels achieved. Specific topics include a vehicle description and performance specification, the structure, occupant restraints, braking and handling, propulsion, the vehicle exterior driver controls, the radar and electronics, the Large Research Safety Vehicle, and the accident environment analysis.
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