Abstract
During side- impact accidents there are few structural components between the vehicle occupant and the outside environment. Nevertheless, the number of structural components involved in resisting intrusion of the bullet vehicle is potentially large. Assessing which components to modify so as to improve both the structural performance of the vehicle and reduce potential occupant injuries is a task performed most effectively by computer simulation. Techniques for predicting the structural performance of a car during side- impacts and the resulting car motion and occupant kinematics are developed and presented.