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Naturalistic driving data has been accumulated by driving data recorders to understand factors that contribute to collisions. Among the rear end conflicts at signalized intersections in the data, conflict data between the following vehicles and suddenly stopping lead vehicles were frequently observed just after their start. To investigate the following drivers' behavior in a realistic driving situation without collision danger, an instrumented vehicle equipped with a liquid-crystal display ahead of the windshield was developed, and an experiment reproducing such conflict on the display was conducted. It was found that a lead vehicle's rapid start (2.8 m/s₂ on average) before quitting its right turn caused the following vehicle's brake reaction time to be longer than a slow start (0.8 m/s₂ on average) did. This result suggests that a following driver's premature decision to start rapidly increases the risk of rear end collisions.

This paper explains the effectiveness of camera images in reducing accidents when changing lanes. A Side View Camera shows images rearward and to the side that include the blind spots of side-view mirrors on an onboard display. The effectiveness of a rear-view camera for parking at low speed is well-known, but little has been verified on the effectiveness of the camera for changing lanes at high speed on a freeway. We used a driving simulator to verify the effectiveness of camera images to assist the driver to confirm safety. The simulator reproduces various dangerous scenes a driver may encounter when changing lanes in a freeway environment. The accident rate when drivers change lanes using common methods, such as the driver looking over his or her shoulder and checking the side-view mirror, were compared with the addition of images from the Side View Camera that offered the same view as the side-view mirror plus the blind spot displayed on an in-vehicle monitor.

This research was conducted to propose appropriate emergency exits for bus crews and passengers. We developed the improved emergency exit based on the results of current bus exit performance tests, and investigated its effect on evacuation readiness. Tests employing human subjects were conducted to measure the time required to evacuate using the improved emergency exit. The subjects' psychological responses during evacuation were also studied to identify any evacuation problems. We also carried out tests of group evacuation through windows in a current bus to obtain the relationship between the evacuation time, the number of evacuation subjects, and the number of windows. The results show that the improved emergency exit is effective in improving evacuation readiness. It is clear that there is a positive correlation between the evacuation time, the number of subjects, and the number of windows.

Robust processing window and subsequent quality of part are major concerns during sheet metal stamping. The sheet restraining force is a key parameter controlling metal flow, thus influencing formability and quality of the resulting part. Recent advances in press and die building provided capability of altering the restraining force (RF) during a stamping stroke via pulsating blankholder force (PBF). An outcome of this technology would be an increase in the maximum drawing depth resulting from a decrease in the average blankholder force. In this study, laboratory and numerical experiments were performed in an effort to better understand the effect of various PBF trajectories on stamping performance. A working numerical model using explicit code was successfully developed for time effective simulation of drawn cups with pulsating binder force. Preliminary results of this ongoing project are presented. The pulsating force trajectory was found to have a beneficial effect on drawability.

The objective of this study is to accurately predict the dynamic strain on the windshield caused by the deployment of the airbag in a short term without vehicle tests. The following assumption is made as to the dynamic pressure distribution on the windshield: The deployment of the airbag is fast enough to ignore spatial difference in the patterns of the pressure time histories. Given this assumption, significant parameters of the dynamic pressure distribution are as follows: 1) the distribution of the maximum pressure during contact between the airbag and the windshield, and 2) the characteristic of the force time histories applied to the windshield by the deploying airbag. In this study, the prediction method consists of a simplified airbag deployment test and an FE simulation. The simple deployment test was conducted to measure the peak pressure distribution between the airbag and a flat panel simulating the windshield.

One of the passive methods to reduce drag on the unshielded underbody of a passenger road vehicle is to use a vertical deflectors commonly called air dams or chin spoilers. These deflectors reduce the flow rate through the non-streamlined underbody and thus reduce the drag caused by underbody components protruding in to the high speed underbody flow. Air dams or chin spoilers have traditionally been manufactured from hard plastics which could break upon impact with a curb or any solid object on the road. To alleviate this failure mode vehicle manufacturers are resorting to using soft plastics which deflect and deform under aerodynamic loading or when hit against a solid object without breaking in most cases. This report is on predicting the deflection of soft chin spoiler under aerodynamic loads. The aerodynamic loads deflect the chin spoiler and the deflected chin spoiler changes the fluid pressure field resulting in a drag change.

A twofold improvement in penetration resistance of laminated safety glass for use in vehicle windshields has been achieved. A new test procedure has been established which will provide better correlation of test conditions to accident conditions than present tests do. Present windshield material and the new safety glazings are compared.