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The European crash test program, Euro NCAP, has since its launch presented results of some 80 individual car models. The improvements in the general level of protection have been substantial. While the intention of the test program is to stimulate the use of best practice, and not to predict real-life outcome, it is nevertheless important to validate the positive development, and to pinpoint potential areas not included in the laboratory safety ratings. In this study, Euro NCAP rating results were compared with a comprehensive car model safety rating method based on real-life crashes, developed by Folksam. In addition, correlation with relative injury risks was also studied. In the Folksam method, the ratings are based on the risk of fatalities and long-term consequences due to injury. The car models were grouped together according to the Euro NCAP star ratings.

In the development of a crashworthy road transport system, guard-rails could play an important role in preventing frontal collisions on roads without separated lanes and in avoiding collisions with roadside objects. Crash pulses in crashes into guard rails may differ from e.g. car-to-car collisions, concerning the duration and mean acceleration. If the characteristics of crash pulses into guard-rails differ from those used in the design of vehicle interior restraint systems, it may influence the performance of these systems.. Collisions with soft guardrails, such as wire ropes, may often have pulse duration of 200 ms or more. The performance of e.g. airbag systems in collisions with such duration is rarely studied. This study presents the results of six crash tests, carried out with identical vehicles running into three types of guard rails at two different test speeds, 80 and 110 km/h, and at two different impact angles, 45° and 20° respectively.

Dummy responses in a crash test can vary depending not only on the change of velocity but also on how the impact was generated. Literature reporting how acceleration pulses can vary in cars impacted in different configurations is limited. The aim of this study was to collect and categorise different acceleration pulses in 3 different types of rear collision. The acceleration pulse resulting from a solid, 1000 kg, mobile barrier test at 40% overlap and an impact velocity of 15 km/h was studied for 33 different cars. Seven cars were impacted at 100% overlap at higher impact velocities using the same mobile barrier. Acceleration pulses from two different car types in real-world collisions producing a similar change of velocity were also analysed. The results from the barrier tests show that a similar change of velocity can be generated by a large variety of pulse shapes in low velocity rear impacts.