Passive Safety Technologies and Belted ATD Neck Loads in Rollover Events

Two rigid rollover test devices were constructed to have the approximate dimensions, mass and inertial properties of a mid-sized Car and Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The rigid devices were used to generate vehicle and occupant responses from a series of laboratory rollover tests. For each rigid rollover test, a deceleration sled was used to subject each rigid vehicle to nearly identical lateral speeds and decelerations. The rigid vehicles were limited to a single roll by tethering the vehicles to the deceleration cart. The vehicle's roll rate, roll angle, lateral acceleration and Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATD) neck responses generated from the rigid SUV were compared to the responses of a full vehicle production SUV under similar test conditions. The rigid SUV and Car devices were then used to examine the effects of activating safety belt pre-tensioning systems and roof mounted side curtain airbags at various times on ATD neck forces and moments. A brief discussion regarding some of the potential factors contributing to ATD neck loading in the single roll events is included.