The aim of this study is to propose a test method applicable for consumer testing to evaluate the safety of passenger cars colliding with moose. Every year about 80 persons in Sweden die or are seriously injured in accidents involving moose (Alces Alces). The head and neck receive the most serious injuries. A very common but less dangerous problem is the large amount of glass splinter that hits the face and eyes of the occupants. The weight of the moose (200-550 kg) in combination with the tall legs, cause the adult moose to hit a normal-sized passenger vehicle at the same height as the windscreen. The greater part of the accidents occur at public roads with a speed limit of 25 m/s (90 km/h). The sudden apperance of the moose give the driver little or no time to swerve or even break. The objective is to propose a test method that has a good repeatability and tests the vehicle at conditions that are close to a typical Swedish moose accident with dead or seriously injured persons. (Author/publisher)
Abstract