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This paper describes the mathematical modeling of occupant kinematics in rollover accidents using the MVMA 2-D occupant motion simulation software. What little information is available on the kinematics of vehicle occupants during rollover accidents has been obtained either after the fact by accident reconstruction or by expensive experimentally-staged events. The paper describes the use of less expensive analytical techniques to graphically illustrate the applicability of occupant motion simulation computer models to this problem.

Crash-test-data on local longitudinal and shear stiffness of the vehicle front is needed to estimate impact severity from car deformation in offset or pole impacts, and to predict vehicle acceleration and compartment intrusion in car-to-car crashes. Repeated full frontal crash-tests were carried out with a load-cell barrier to determine the local longitudinal stiffness with increasing crush. Repeated off-set tests were run to determine shear stiffness. Two single high-speed tests (full frontal and offset) were carried out and compared to the repeated tests to determine the rate sensitivity of the front structure. Four repetitions at 33.4 km/h provided equivalent energy absorption to a single 66.7 km/h test, when rebound was considered. Power-train inertial effects were estimated from highspeed tests with and without power-train. Speed effects averaged 2% per [m/s] for crush up to power-train impact, and post-crash measurements were a reasonable estimate of front-structure stiffness.