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Frontal Offset Crash Test Study Using 50th Percentile Male and 5th Percentile Female Dummies
Technical Paper
986002
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
In September of 1996 United States Congress directed the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct a
feasibility study toward establishing a Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard (FMVSS) for frontal offset crash testing. Congress
stated that these activities should reflect ongoing efforts to
enhance international harmonization of safety standards. The offset
crash test work described herein is part of NHTSA''s
undertaking in response to the Congressional directive. This paper
presents NHTSA''s initial results of offset testing where
the test vehicle moves at a speed of 60 kmph into a fixed
deformable barrier that overlaps 40 percent of the front of the
vehicle. This test procedure essentially replicates that required
by the European Union''s (EU) Directive 96/79 EC, "On
the Protection of Occupants of Motor Vehicles in the Event of a
Frontal Impact and Amending Directive 70/156/EEC." which was
adopted in December of 1996.
Previous testing with this particular frontal offset procedure
has suggested that the lower legs of the dummies show loads that
exceed possible injury limits. One goal of this testing activity is
to determine if the offset test at 60 kmph provides additional
benefits beyond the FMVSS NO. 208 full frontal barrier test at 48
kmph. In addition, the agency has been petitioned to use
smaller-size dummies in its testing to look for aspects of safety
that are not evaluated by the traditional 50th percentile male
Hybrid III dummy.
To facilitate the potential for adding the 5th percentile to
frontal testing and to evaluate the offset test with the 50th and
5th percentile dummies, a series of eight crash tests was
performed. In the eight crash tests, all the dummies were
restrained with the safety belt systems. The three cars used in the
crash testing were the Dodge Neon, Toyota Camry, and Ford
Taurus.
Authors
- Johanna C. Lowrie - Conrad Technologies, Inc.
- Brian T. Park - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Richard M. Morgan - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- James R. Hackney - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- John Lee - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Sheldon L. Stucki - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration