Accuracy and Sensitivity of CRASH

The accuracy and sensitivity of the CRASH computer program are examined. Accuracy is related to how well CRASH performs in comparison to results from 53 vehicles in 27 independent staged collisions. Sensitivity is related to how estimated field errors or imprecision affect the precision of computed delta-V. The sensitivity to error in the coefficients of the force-deflection relationship is examined.

With regard to accuracy, CRASH tends to underestimate delta-V at low values of delta-V. CRASH tends to be unbiased at high values of delta-V; however, the number of tests at high delta-V is small.

Typical errors estimated by available independent data indicate that the 95 percent confidence limits on individual calculations of delta-V range from 9 to 25 percent. Errors of 10 percent in the force-deflection coefficients were observed to result in errors of 2 to 6 percent in delta-V calculations.