DETERMINATION OF RESTRAINT EFFECTIVENESS - Airbag Crash Test Repeatability

Thirty-three airbag-equipped Mercury cars were crash tested at three different test laboratories in order to determine the repeatability of test results in the proposed FMVSS 208 procedure. Nine Hybrid-II crash dummies were used. There were significant inconsistencies in results from the three testing agencies; by comparison, the different dummies caused little or no difference in test results; there was a large component of test variability due to uncontrolled and generally unknown factors operating in each test crash.