Why the issue is loss reduction rather than only crash prevention. Paper presented at the Automotive Engineering Congress, Detroit, Michigan, January 12-16, 1970.

Traditional emphasis only on crash prevention ignores major opportunities for reducing losses to damaged people and property. A standard method is needed for rating vehicles, occupant protection considering limits set by physics and body force tolerances. The use of structural damage for crash energy absorption, particularly at 5 to 20 m-p.h., is archaic in comparison with aircraft strut design. It is predicted that the present, structural-damage approach to low speed energy absorption will soon become publicity unacceptable.