Updating the Vehicle Class Categories

The use of “generic vehicle data” gained wide user acceptance with the introduction of the CRASH3 computer program in 1981. The categories were broadened for use in EDVAP in 1984. However, the categories have not been updated since 1984, and the data relied upon by vehicle safety researchers has become stale. This paper updates the vehicle class categories, as well as broadens the categories to provide a more useful set of generic vehicles for a newer vehicle population mix, which now includes mini-vans, small pickups and multi-purpose vehicles. The paper describes the methods used for establishing the categories, calculating the individual vehicle parameters for each category and extending the categories to include three-dimensional vehicle parameters.