Traffic barrier performance related to passenger car characteristics.

Passenger cars have become smaller and lighter over the past two decades, and have lower, more aerodynamic frontal shapes. Traffic barriers, however, have changed little since current systems were developed in the 1960s. There is growing concern that changes in vehicle characteristics will adversely affect barrier performance, resulting in decreased protection for occupants of modern cars. This paper compares current vehicle frontal geometry to typical 1960s geometry.