AN ENGINEERING evaluation of six automobile head-on collision experiments is presented for impact speeds ranging from 21 to 52 mph. An analysis of the relative collision performances of unit-body and frame-type construction is made. Anthropometric dummy subjects facilitate determination of force systems for restrained and unrestrained motorists, their dynamic and kinetic responses to impact, and the causative factors associated with motorist injury production.*
The systems of instrumentation which enabled a comprehensive analysis to be made from an event lasting only 0.25 sec are briefly presented.
Specific data include deceleration patterns for different locations on the car underbody and body; gross and localized elastic and permanent deformations of structures; the relationship of repair costs to impact velocity; motorist injury analysis including the contributions of the steering wheel, seats, and other parts of the car interior; statistical significance of differences in collision performances observed for unit-body and frame-and-body construction; and the physics of the automobile head-on impact. Lap belt performance is presented in terms of efficiency, loadings, and elongation as a function of impact velocity.