A Momentum and Energy Approach to Modeling Crash Behavior, Quantifying Crash Severity, and Identifying Crash Configurations

This paper focuses on the role and significance of linear momentum and kinetic energy in controlling air bags aboard vehicles. Among the results of the study are analytic and geometric models that characterize crash behavior and control algorithms that quantify crash severity and identify crash configurations. These results constitute an effective basis for crash-data design and air-bag control.