Impressive advances in the crash worthiness of cars have resulted in the last few years from consumer testing via the EuroNCAP process. However, the crash compatibility of cars of different size, make and type remain to be addressed in similar vein. Moreover, one may ask whether the growing popularity of Sport Utility Vehicles for road transport use poses new issues. The mechanics of crash interactions are examined, with emphasis on mismatches in vehicle structures, particularly for side impact, and the relative risk patterns for death and injury are outlined. Potential questions are the likely forward trends of the numbers of SUVs within the vehicle population and what might follow from the present pattern of growth.(A) Reprinted with permission from Elsevier. For the covering abstract see ITRD E134766.
Abstract