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Crash tests of vehicles by striking deformable barriers are specified by Government programs such as FMVSS 214, FMVSS 301 and the Side Impact New Car Assessment Program (SINCAP). Such tests result in both crash partners absorbing crush energy and moving after separation. Compared with studying fixed rigid barrier crash tests, the analysis of the energy-absorbing behavior of the vehicle side (or rear) structure is much more involved. Described in this paper is a methodology by which analysts can use such crash tests to determine the side structure stiffness characteristics for the specific struck vehicle. Such vehicle-specific information allows the calculation of the crush energy for the particular side-struck vehicle during an actual collision – a key step in the reconstruction of that crash.

Crash tests of vehicles by striking deformable barriers are specified by Government programs such as FMVSS 214, FMVSS 301 and the Side Impact New Car Assessment Program (SINCAP). Such tests result in both crash partners absorbing crush energy and moving after separation. Compared with studying fixed rigid barrier crash tests, the analysis of the energy-absorbing behavior of the vehicle side (or rear) structure is much more involved. Described in this paper is a methodology by which analysts can use such crash tests to determine the side structure stiffness characteristics for the specific struck vehicle. Such vehicle-specific information allows the calculation of the crush energy for the particular side-struck vehicle during an actual collision – a key step in the reconstruction of that crash.

In frontal crashes, lateral deformations can occur as a result of various mechanisms. Unfortunately, the crush energy associated with such deformations cannot be assessed as long as the structural properties are unknown. That has been the situation to date, due to the lack of appropriate crash test data. The present research attempts to address this deficit. A passenger car was crash-tested in a mode designed to induce lateral deformations that are significant compared to longitudinal crush. This was done via a series of three repeated impacts on the same vehicle so as to obtain, in a cost-effective manner, structural characterization data at increasing crash severities. Various cause-and-effect relationships (structural characterization models) were considered with an eye to selecting the one that best predicts the crush energy. Insights obtained from analyzing the behavior of the front structure are presented.

Thanks to years of research and development by vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, legislation, and the entire safety community, the side airbag has become a critical safety device to reduce injury and save lives. This new collection of technical research highlights the progression of these essential safety features, providing a complete and thorough perspective through the analysis of both early patents and recent side airbag system developments. Advances in Side Airbag Systems begins with an introduction by editor Donald E. Struble, chronicling the progress made since the mid-1980s in offering improved side impact protection to the motoring public. Authored by leading experts in their respective fields, this book features a comprehensive collection of 26 landmark technical papers. Its scope includes not only thorax airbags, but other inflatable devices designed for side impacts and rollovers.

Since air bags emerged as an occupant protection concept in the early '70s, their development into a widely-available product has been lengthy, arduous, and the subject of an intense national debate. That debate is well documented and will not be repeated here. Rather, operating principles and design considerations are discussed, using systems and components from the developmental history of airbags as examples. Design alternatives, crash test requirements, and performance limits are discussed. Sources of restraint system forces, and their connection with occupant size and position, are identified. Various types of inflators, and some of the considerations involved in “smart” systems, are presented. Sensor designs, and issues that influence the architecture of the sensor system, are discussed.