Van Crashworthiness and Aggressivity Study

This paper presents the results of a series of van crash tests which were conducted by Dynamic Science, Inc. under contract to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Six van tests were conducted against a unique load-measuring barrier to study the crashworthiness and aggressivity of two typical van models at speeds of 15, 25, and 30 mph. Two additional tests were conducted between each of the two van models and a typical full-size passenger car. The results of these tests are being used by NHTSA to support extension of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 to vans, and to provide initial information for the future FMVSS 400 series standards.

The views and opinions presented in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official view of the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.