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Eight full-scale collision experiments were conducted and 73 collision fire case studies were investigated to provide data relating to fuel system failure modes and susceptibility of fuel system designs to collision fires. Data regarding impact speeds, nature of injuries, and climatic conditions are included. Results of extensive laboratory experiments provide specific ignition conditions for common fuels and define ignition hazards of exhaust systems and electrical and lighting circuitry. The physics of crash fire atmospheres is described, including air quality, radiant and convective heat transfers, and the relationship between burn physiology and occupant escape time. Design concepts are suggested for limiting fuel spillages, ignition sources, and thermal stress to motorists.

The research techniques of instrumented full-scale collision experiments were applied to evaluate relative crash performances of smaller passenger vehicles colliding with larger vehicles. The larger vehicle weighed from 1.5-4 times as much as the smaller vehicle. The structure-overriding tendencies of larger vehicles in a particular collision were found to greatly influence the severity of exposure to injury for occupants of the smaller vehicle; relative strength of structures was similarly important. The crash safety of a motorist is shown to depend more on the use of adequate restraining devices than on the smallness of his car. Mismatched sizes of vehicles were crashed head-on, as well as in rear-end and intersection-type exposures. Analytical relationships of post-impact displacements as well as transducer and photographic instrumentation data are presented. Actual accident investigations were conducted which provided background preparation for this series of crash tests.

Scientific methodology and engineering techniques were applied to a series of three automobile rear-end collision experiments to provide data relating to seat, seat backrest, and head-restraint design. Five seat back heights and four seat back strength values were studied in connection with their practicality and relative protective features, when subjected to a 55 mph rear-end collision exposure. These research data provide a basic reference system of high-speed collision performance for seat designs with respect to occupant size and proximity to injury producing structures. Additionally, methodology, instrumentation, and related equipment required for post-crash fire studies were included in experiment 106, providing what is believed to be the first published data on the precise time-related events associated with collision-induced passenger car fires. Design revisions suggested by these findings are discussed.