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The Effect of Redesigned Air Bags on Frontal Usa Ncap
Technical Paper
986225
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
In March 1997 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) temporarily amended Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) No. 208 to allow manufacturers more flexibility in the use
of less aggressive air bags. Beginning with the 1998 model year
(MY), most vehicles produced for sale in the US market were
equipped with these redesigned frontal air bags. This paper
investigates how the safety ratings as developed in the New Car
Assessment Program (NCAP) were affected by the introduction of
these air bags.
Results from thirty-three MY 1998 vehicles crash tested for
frontal NCAP were compared with the same make and models vehicles
that were previously tested in NCAP. The only differences between
the MY 1998 vehicles and the earlier vehicles are the redesigned
air bags and other restraint system changes (i.e., safety belt or
steering assembly modifications). The head injury criteria (HIC),
chest accelerations (chest G''s), combined injury
probability, and NCAP star ratings are examined for the driver and
right front passenger. The neck responses of the driver and right
front passenger between two model years also are examined relative
to the new neck requirements that were included in the March 1997
amendment to FMVSS No. 208.
The average HIC values were lower for the MY 1998 vehicles. The
lower average was primarily due to reductions in HICs that occurred
in light truck and vans. Average chest G values were found to be
nearly the same for the MY 1998 vehicles, as a group, when compared
to the earlier models. Average neck loads were found to be
approximately the same except for neck extension. The neck
extension moments for the newer air bag vehicles were lower.