Search Results

The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of using high-speed frontal barrier crash tests to predict the impact speed, i.e. equivalent barrier speed (EBS), of a lower-speed frontal barrier crash. Force-displacement (F-D) curves were produced by synchronizing the load cell barrier (LCB) data with the accelerometer data. Our analysis revealed that the F-D curves, including the rebound phase, for the same vehicle model at the same impact speed were generally similar. The test vehicle crush at the time of barrier separation, determined from the F-D curves, was on average 17±16% (N = 150) greater than the reported maximum hand-measured residual crush to the bumper cover. The EBS calculated from the F-D curves was on average 4±4% (N=158) greater than the reported EBS, indicating that using F-D curves derived from LCB data is a reliable method for calculating vehicle approach energy in a crash test.

The repeatability and accuracy of front and rear speed changes reported by Toyota’s Airbag Control Modules (ACMs) have been previously characterized for low-severity collisions simulated on a linear sled. The goals of the present study are (i) to determine the accuracy and repeatability of Toyota ACMs in mid-severity crashes, and (ii) to validate the assumption that ACMs function similarly for idealized sled pulses and full-scale vehicle-to-barrier and vehicle-to-vehicle crashes. We exposed three Toyota Corollas to a series of full-scale aligned frontal and rear-end crash tests with speed changes (ΔV) of 4 to 12 km/h. We then characterized the response of another 16 isolated Toyota ACMs from three vehicle models (Corolla, Prius and Camry) and 3 generations (Gen 1, 2 and 3) using idealized sled pulses and replicated vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-barrier pulses in both frontal and rear-end crashes (ΔV = 9 to 17 km/h).