Crashworthiness among side pole testing

Abstract

This research presents results from measurement data analysis of 47 oblique side impact pole crash tests conducted for the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Integrating measured acceleration data allowed to calculate changes of velocity and other key parameter like coefficient of restitution of the impacts. An objective of this work was, to obtain parameters for the side crash, which can be useful for vehicular accident reconstruction. Despite of identical test velocity, we can observe a wide range of kinetic energy induced due to the to some extent tremendously differing masses of the vehicles. In addition, the part of this energy, which is dissipated into deformation energy, differs enormously. In some cases, the kinetic energy after impact is unexpected high, which in this case is equal to a comparatively large change of velocity (Δv). Analysing the dummy measurements of the considered side pole tests, we cannot observe a relationship between velocity change of the vehicle and load of the dummy. Resultant restrictions for the use of delta-V as crash severity metric or predictor for the risk of injury are discussed.