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Since the introduction of ice crystal icing certification requirements [1], icing facilities have played an important role in demonstrating compliance of aircraft air data probes, engine probes, and increasingly, of turbine engines. Most sea level engine icing facilities use the freezing-out of a water spray to simulate ice crystal icing conditions encountered at altitude by an aircraft in flight. However, there are notable differences in the ice particles created by freeze-out versus those observed at altitude [2, 3, 4]. Freeze-out crystals are generally spherical as compared to altitude crystals which have variable crystalline shapes. Additionally, freeze-out particles may not completely freeze in their centres, creating a combination of super-cooled liquid and ice impacting engine hardware. An alternative method for generating ice crystals in a test facility is the grinding of ice blocks or cubes to create irregular shaped crystals.

Passenger car side impact crash tests and sled tests were conducted to investigate the influence of booster seats, near-side occupant characteristics and vehicle interiors on the responses of the Q6/Q6s child ATD positioned in the rear, far-side seating location. Data from nine side impact sled tests simulating a EuroNCAP AEMD barrier test were analyzed with data obtained from 44 side impact crash tests. The crash tests included: FMVSS 214 and IIHS MDB, moving car-to-stationary car and moving car-to-moving car. A Q6 or prototype Q6s ATD was seated on the far-side, using a variety of low and high back booster seats. Head and chest responses were recorded and ATD motions were tracked with high-speed videos. The vehicle lateral accelerations resulting from MDB tests were characterized by a much earlier and more rapid rise to peak than in tests where the bullet was another car.

Two manufacturers, Denton ATD and FTSS, currently produce the Hybrid III 5th percentile female dummy. In response to concerns raised by industry that differences in the anthropometry of the molded breasts between the two manufacturers may influence chest responses, Transport Canada conducted a comparative testing program. Thorax biofidelity tests were conducted to compare force-deflection characteristics; full-frontal, rigid-barrier tests were conducted at 40, 48 and 56 km/h to compare chest responses, and out-of-position chest on module static airbag deployment tests were conducted to compare peak chest deflections of the Denton and FTSS dummy jackets and of a prototype jacket without breasts. Differences in force-deflection characteristics were observed during biofidelity pendulum impacts of the two dummies, with much of the differences attributed to the different chest jackets.

The responses of a Hybrid III 5th percentile dummy manufactured by Denton ATD were compared to a Hybrid III 5th percentile dummy manufactured by First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS). The dummies were seated on a HYGE sled set in a representative small production sedan configuration, simulating a 60 km/h offset deformable barrier (25 g pulse) and a 22 km/h crash (11 g pulse). Three shoulder retractor anchorage positions were used to place the shoulder belt at different locations on the dummy shoulder for each of the driver (left shoulder) and passenger (right shoulder) seating positions. Chest deflections measured from the rotary potentiometer are compared to deflections calculated from the accelerometers and are reported as a function of belt load and belt position. Repeatability is evaluated at low and high deflection levels.

This technical paper presents the results from tests conducted with the ES-2re, a version of the ES-2 side impact dummy that was modified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to improve its performance in crash tests. Through the series of biofidelity tests conducted on the ES-2re, described in International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Report (TR)9790 (1999), the OSRP observed a final overall biofidelity ranking of 4.1 for the ES-2re, which corresponds to an ISO classification of “marginal.” The biofidelity of the ES-2re is compared to that of the ES-2 and the WorldSID. Repeatability was also evaluated on the ES-2re based on the biofidelity test data. Additional pendulum tests were performed to assess the response of the dummy in oblique loading conditions, and results indicate that oblique loading from the front leads to significantly reduced rib deflections.

The responses of a 5th percentile female ATD in the driver and/or rear passenger positions of 56 crashes are described. The Transport Canada side impact programme consisted of LTV-to-car impacts, car-to-car impacts and IIHS barrier-to-car tests. The majority of the tests involved severe crash conditions for which the vehicles were not designed. The SID-IIs head, chest and abdominal responses were compared to determine the effects of the striking bullet geometry, the angle of impact, the impact point and the self-protective elements of the struck vehicle, including airbag technology and armrest designs. The SID-IIs head responses and deflection measures were sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between the various striking vehicles, crash configurations, airbag systems and armrest characteristics.

This technical paper presents the results of biomechanical testing conducted on the ES-2 dummy by the Occupant Safety Research Partnership and Transport Canada. The ES-2 is a production dummy, based on the EuroSID-1 dummy, that was modified to further improve testing capabilities as recommended by users of the EuroSID-1 dummy. Biomechanical response data were obtained by completing a series of drop, pendulum, and sled tests that are outlined in the International Organization of Standardization Technical Report 9790 that describes biofidelity requirements for the midsize adult male side impact dummy. A few of the biofidelity tests were conducted on both sides of the dummy to evaluate the symmetry of its responses. Full vehicle crash tests were conducted to verify if the changes in the EuroSID-1, resulting in the ES-2 design, did improve the dummy's testing capability. In addition to the biofidelity testing, the ES-2 dummy repeatability, reproducibility and durability are discussed.

In 1998, Rouhana et al. described development of a new device, called the IR-TRACC (InfraRed - Telescoping Rod for Assessment of Chest Compression). In its original concept, the IR-TRACC uses two infrared LEDs inside of a telescoping rod to measure deflection. One LED serves as a light transmitter and the other as a light receiver. The output from the receiver LED is converted to a linear function of chest compression using an analog circuit. Tests have been performed with IR-TRACC units at various labs around the world since 1998. A first-generation IR-TRACC system was retrofit into a Q3 dummy by TNO. Similarly, a mid sized male Hybrid III dummy thorax and a small female Hybrid III dummy thorax have been designed by First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS) such that each contains 4 second-generation IR-TRACC units. The second-generation IR-TRACC is the result of continued development by FTSS, especially in the areas of the analysis circuit, manufacturing and calibration methods.

As part of the Automotive Seat and Package Evaluation and Comparison Tools (ASPECT) program, UMTRI researchers developed a new H-point manikin that is intended to replace the current SAE J826 manikin. The original manikin is used in many automotive applications, including as a platform for a belt-fit test device (BTD). In the current project, components and procedures were developed to measure belt fit using the ASPECT manikin. Contoured lap and torso forms were constructed using anthropometric data from an earlier UMTRI study. Prototype forms were mounted on the ASPECT manikin for testing in a laboratory fixture and in vehicles. The testing demonstrated that the ASPECT-BTD produces consistent measures of belt fit that vary in expected ways with belt geometry.

In the fall of 2000, the Council of Ministers agreed that Canada should retain the vision of having the safest roads in the world, and that a longer term successor plan, called Road Safety Vision 2010, carry forward the work of Canada's inaugural national road safety plan. It was further agreed that the plan include an overall national target and sub-targets. A national target that calls for 30% decreases in the average number of road users killed and seriously injured during the 2008-2010 period below comparable 1996-2001 figures is currently under consideration. Achievement of this target would reduce Canada's road fatality total to fewer than 2100 by 2010.

This paper provides details on the tests performed and the research findings of an underride guard test programme, including 10 full scale crashes using three types of deformable guards. The deformable guards tested included one meeting the minimum requirements of the NHTSA FMVSS 223 with ground clearances of either 560 or 480 mm, a second meeting the same minimum performance criteria with the addition of a device to limit the displacement of the horizontal member (ground clearance of 480 mm only) and a third being stiffer and designed to roughly maintain its 560 mm ground clearance during deformation. Crash tests were performed at speeds of 48, 56 and 65 kph.

Static out-of-position tests were performed to identify the potential for injury as a function of position, airbag type and vehicle seat characteristics. Seat and door mounted airbags, head curtains and head tubes were evaluated. Out-of-position testing was carried out with the Hybrid III 3 year old, 6 year old and the TNO Q3 3 year old child dummies. In-position tests and a dynamic test were conducted to monitor child seat and airbag interactions and to confirm that properly restrained children would not be exposed to undue risk from a deploying side airbag. Results of the out-of-position testing suggest that current side airbag designs may cause serious and/or fatal neck and chest injuries. In-position static testing with child seats suggested a potential for intrusion into the child occupant space leading to structural damage of the car seat.

This paper reports the results of a study to determine the effects of a top tether strap on the performance of child restraint systems (CRS). Four commercially available CRSs and the CanFIX were tested. All restraints tested had a similar design T-shield type harness system to minimize harness variability. As part of the test matrix, tether webbing, tether height and tether slack were varied. The dummies used for testing were the 12-and 18-month CRABI. Head and chest acceleration, head excursion, upper and lower neck loads and resultant moments were recorded. Although the presence of slack in the tether strap degrades the performance of the CRS, a tether strap with slack present improved the response of a dummy restrained in a CRS when compared to an identical tetherless restraint. With maximum slack, the results for the restraint condition approached results from a tetherless condition while still demonstrating a slight benefit.

Dummy response and restraint configuration factors associated with a known child injury environment were investigated using a spinal-cord injury accident case, a full-scale reconstruction, and sled simulations. The work is one of several studies undertaken in association with the International Task Force on Child Restraining Systems to support the development of improved neck injury criteria and restraint systems for young children. A two-vehicle crash involving a restrained child occupant was investigated in detail and reconstructed in full-scale at the Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Test Centre using the CRABI 6-Month dummy. Vehicle damage and crush characteristics closely resembled that of the case vehicles. Dummy instrumentation included head and chest accelerometers and upper and lower neck transducers. The case occupant had been facing forward and had sustained a contusion of the spinal cord at T2 that resulted in paraplegia.

A study of vehicle accident data from insurance claim files was conducted to determine the relative effectiveness of red and amber turn-signal systems in reducing rear-end collisions. The effectiveness was measured in terms of the relative frequency of accidents involving these systems, with respect to a number of vehicle, environmental, and driver factors. Control for vehicle exposure was made by comparing the non-turning accidents with the turning accidents for the relevant rear-turn-signal systems. Analyses revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in rear-end accident rates between the red and amber turn-signal systems. On the basis of safety benefits, the results of the study did not appear to provide sufficient justification for changes to the present Motor Vehicle Safety Standards regarding the functional separation and colour coding of a rear-turn-signal system.