A slightly different version of this study is published in Journal of Traffic Medicine, 1997, Volume 25, Number 1-2, p. 3-6 (see IRRD 891021). Australian vehicles are currently required to meet Australian Design Rule ADR 69 which specifies head, chest and femur dummy criteria in a dynamic full frontal crash test at 48km/h, based on the US regulation FMVSS 208, with the added allowance for the test dummies to be restrained by seat belts. The European road safety community has been working towards developing a dynamic frontal offset standard to be mandated for all European vehicles towards the end of 1998. The Federal Office of Road Safety in Australia is participating in this work with a view to adopting this regulation if warranted by benefits to Australian motorists in addition to ADR 69, and if they would be cost-effective. A study was undertaken for the Federal Office of Road Safety in Australia to address this question. The research tasks included an examination of the pattern of injuries sustained in offset compared with full frontal crashes.
Samenvatting