Comparison of Measured Velocity Change in Frontal Crash Tests to NASS Computed Velocity Change

The purpose of this study is to attempt to quantify the differences between CRASH3 generated velocity change (ΔV) as used in the National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) and measured velocities in actual frontal crash tests. An appropriate factor is then applied to ΔV in NASS to estimate an adjusted ΔV distribution based on these differences. A substantial change to the velocity distribution in NASS-CDS will have a significant bearing on the estimates of lives and injuries affected by any changes to the impact velocity for the frontal crash test in FMVSS No. 208 or other rulemaking decisions.