This paper describes side impact research conducted under the auspices of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA), formerly Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association of the United States, Inc. (MVMA). The AAMA has funded many research projects on side impact including component test device development, test procedure comparisons. (USA, European and Composite), dummy evaluations (SID, BIOSID, EUROSID-1 and EUROSID), basic biomechanics, and padding characteristics. The research effort reported on here begins in 1982 with the coordinated government/industry project to develop, and to compare full-scale with subsystem side impact test procedures. Following the end of the coordinated research, AAMA members pursued a vigorous coordinated effort on their own. This research effort continues today considering such timely issues as appropriate injury criteria and lateral head impact. The paper discusses each research project, its objectives, pertinent conclusions and places the total research programme into perspective. (A)
Samenvatting