Impact conditions in side-impact collisions with fixed roadside objects

Accid Anal Prev. 1999 Jan-Mar;31(1-2):21-30. doi: 10.1016/s0001-4575(98)00041-4.

Abstract

Designing vehicles and roadside structures that are safer in side-impact collisions is an emerging area of concern in roadside safety research. Selecting impact conditions that are relevant to the way side-impact collisions occur in real world collisions is an important part of developing effective full-scale crash test procedures and evaluation criteria. If test impact conditions are unrealistically severe, improving the performance of roadside hardware for side-impacts may appear unfeasible. If test impact conditions are not demanding enough, good performance in full-scale crash tests may not be indicative of good performance in real-world crashes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the best available accident data to determine what the reasonable worst case test impact conditions are for side-impacts with roadside objects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic*
  • Automobiles*
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans