Instrumented crash tests are a valuable source of information for collision reconstruction, as the collected data allows for a better understanding of the dynamics and severity of real-world collisions. Numerous published crash tests exist for automobiles, motorcycles, and heavy vehicles; however, none of the published crash testing has involved snowmobiles. This paper presents the results of six snowmobile crash tests to begin to fill the gap in the literature. In five tests, the test snowmobile was accelerated forward into a pole, made from a tree trunk 33 cm in diameter. In the last test, two snowmobiles collided head-on into each other.
Prior to testing, each snowmobile was weighed and scanned using a Faro 3D scanner. All of the snowmobiles were instrumented to collect speed and acceleration data during the tests. Each snowmobile was scanned after the test, which allowed for measurements of the extent of crush from impact.
