Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Research Articles

Frontal-oblique impact sled tests of a rearward-facing child restraint system with and without a support leg

ObjectiveTo quantify the head and neck injury metrics of an anthropometric test device (ATD) in a rearward-facing child restraint system (CRS), with and without a support leg, in frontal-oblique impacts. MethodsSled tests using the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 213 frontal crash pulse (48 km/h, 23 g) were performed with a simulated Consumer Reports test buck, which comprised a test bench that mimics the rear outboard vehicle seat of a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The test bench was rigidised to increase durability for repeated testing and the seat springs and cushion were replaced every five tests. A force plate was mounted to the floor of the test buck directly in front of the test bench to measure support leg peak reaction force. The test buck was rotated 30° and 60° relative to the longitudinal axis of the sled deck to represent frontal-oblique impacts. The door surrogate from the FMVSS 213a side impact test was rigidly attached to the sled deck adjacent to the test bench. The 18-month-old Q-Series (Q1.5) ATD was seated in a rearward-facing infant CRS, which was attached to the test bench with either rigid lower anchors or a three-point seatbelt. The rearward-facing infant CRS was tested with and without a support leg. Conductive foil was attached to the upper edge of the door panel and a strip of conductive foil was attached to the top of the ATD head so that a voltage signal quantified contact with the door panel. A new CRS was used for each test. A repeat test was performed for each condition for a total of 16 tests. Data sourcesResultant linear head acceleration 3 ms clip; head injury criterion 15 ms (HIC15); peak neck tensile force; peak neck flexion moment; potential difference between the ATD head and the door panel; support leg peak reaction force. ResultsThe presence of a support leg significantly reduced head injury metrics (p < 0.001) and peak neck tensile force (p = 0.004) compared to tests without a support leg. Rigid lower anchors were associated with significant reductions in head injury metrics and peak neck flexion moment (p < 0.001) compared to tests that attached the CRS with the seatbelt. The 60° frontal-oblique tests had significantly elevated head injury metrics (p < 0.01) compared to the 30° frontal-oblique tests. No ATD head contact with the door was observed for 30° frontal-oblique tests. The ATD head contacted the door panel in the 60° frontal-oblique tests when the CRS was tested without the support leg. Average support leg peak reaction forces ranged from 2167 to 4160 N. The 30° frontal-oblique sled tests had significantly higher support leg peak reaction forces (p < 0.001) compared to the 60° frontal-oblique sled tests. ConclusionsThe findings of the current study add to the growing body of evidence regarding the protective benefits of CRS models with a support leg and rigid lower anchors.

Crashworthiness Performance of Rear Underrun Protection Device under Simulated Car Collision

&lt;div&gt;A rear underrun protection device (RUPD) plays a fundamental role in reducing the risk of running a small car beneath the rear or the side of a heavy truck because of the difference in structure heights in the event of a vehicle collision. Even in cars with five-star safety ratings, crashing into a truck with poorly designed RUPD results in a passenger compartment intrusion (PCI) more than the maximum allowable limit as per the United States (US) American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS). In this article, mild steel was used to fabricate the new designs of RUPD. The design was analyzed using finite element (FE) analysis LS-DYNA software. Simulations of a Toyota Yaris 2010 and Ford Taurus 2001 were performed at a constant speed of 63 km/h at the time of impact. The ability to prevent severe injuries in a collision with the rear side of the truck was estimated to optimize the underrun design. The new design has achieved the goal of decreasing the head acceleration beyond the limit, which is less than 60 g. It has achieved a reduction in acceleration by 66.116% and zero PCIs even in collisions with different safety ratings cars.&lt;/div&gt;

Increasing seat belt use in the United States by promoting and requiring more effective seat belt reminder systems

Objective Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 requires every passenger vehicle to provide an auditory signal lasting 4 to 8 seconds and a visual display lasting 60 seconds when the driver is unbelted at ignition. This requirement does not increase seat belt use. This paper summarizes the latest research on using vehicle technology to increase seat belt use and existing safety standards worldwide to support the strengthening of FMVSS 208. Method Studies of seat belt reminders and interlocks published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or as technical reports were identified in online databases and reviewed along with current requirements worldwide. Results from past research were used to estimate the front- and rear-seat daytime belt use rate and the annual number of lives that could be saved by a persistent audible reminder at each seating position. Results Most motor vehicle occupants routinely buckle up. Those that do not typically forget, are going a short distance, or find belts uncomfortable. Seat belt reminders can remind or motivate occupants to buckle up. Enhanced reminders that exceed FMVSS 208 increase belt use by 6 percentage points. Reminders also can increase rear belt use, and although required throughout the world, are not required by FMVSS 208. More persistent reminders, like those required around the world, with a continuous, long-lasting audible signal increase belt use by 30% among drivers who do not routinely buckle up. If every vehicle in the U.S. had such a reminder at each seating position, then it was estimated that the daytime belt use rate in the U.S. would increase about 3 percentage points from 90.3% to 93.2% in the front row and by about 6 percentage points from 80% to 85.9% in the rear row. It was estimated that the increase in belt use from a continuous, long-lasting audible reminder could potentially save about 1,600 lives each year. Seat belt interlocks can increase belt use, but acceptance is a stumbling block. Public outcry ensued after interlocks were required in 1973, and public sentiment remains negative. Opinions toward front and rear reminders are more favorable. Furthermore, past research suggests interlocks may be no more effective for increasing seat belt use than persistent audible reminders. The effect of interlocks on rear belt use have not been explored. Conclusion Persistent seat belt reminder systems that last at least 90 seconds can potentially save hundreds of U.S. motorists each year. Robust empirical evidence, successful exemplars from organizations throughout the world, and a clear public health benefit exists for strengthening FMVSS 208 to require more persistent audible reminders at every seating position.

Design of a Secure Automated Driving Systems Test Data Interface

&lt;div class="section abstract"&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;Vehicles equipped with Level 4 and 5 autonomy will need to be tested according to regulatory standards (or future revisions thereof) that vehicles with lower levels of autonomy are currently subject to. Today, dynamic Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) tests are performed with human drivers and driving robots controlling the test vehicle’s steering wheel, throttle pedal, and brake pedal. However, many Level 4 and 5 vehicles will lack these traditional driver controls, so it will be impossible to control these vehicles using human drivers or traditional driving robots. Therefore, there is a need for an electronic interface that will allow engineers to send dynamic steering, speed, and brake commands to a vehicle. This paper describes the design and implementation of a market-ready Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Test Data Interface (TDI), a secure electronic control interface which aims to solve the challenges outlined above. The interface consists of a communication port integrated into automobiles which lack traditional manual controls. Via this interface dynamic test scenarios can be executed by plugging in a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), which is an element of the TDI hardware/firmware intended to be available only to authorized users. Physically, the VCU can interface with the On-board Diagnostics (OBD) OBD-II connector that is present on essentially all modern automobiles. This paper also describes a demonstration of the complete VCU with the secure TDI using a vehicle equipped with a Dataspeed drive-by-wire kit, with its steering, throttle, and brake control systems mimicking the behavior of an autonomous subject vehicle.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Low-speed finite element frontal impact analysis on aluminum alloy bumper made of 6063-T6

In this research, a low-speed impact numerical simulation has been performed on a 6063-T6 Aluminum alloy bumper welded by MIEA technique using ANSYS® LS-DYNA® Workbench™ 19.2, according to the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations. For the numerical simulation, mechanical properties were obtained from quasi-static tensile tests in 6063-T6 aluminum alloy joints, these joints were manufactured using the MIEA (modified indirect electric arc) technique and a MIG welding process and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). For the numerical impact simulation, the following parameters have been used: mass of the impactor of 1000 kg, speed of the impactor 4 km/hr and material of the impactor AISI 4130 steel. The simulation study showed that aluminum alloy joints used in bumper beam has excellent mechanical strength under low-speed impact conditions. Among the mechanical properties that have been recovered due to PWHT are the following: it was possible to harden the fusion zone, that is, there was an increase in hardness values from 80 HV0.1 to 98 HV0.1, the heat affected zone was eliminated, obtaining hardness values of approximately 110 HV0.1, a recovery in yield strength (59%) was observed, that is, in welding condition (170 MPa) and welding condition plus PWHT (270 MPa). In terms of tensile strength, a recovery (42%) was observed, going from welding condition (214 MPa) and welding condition plus PWHT (304 MPa). Tensile strength also had an increase ranging from 214 MPa to 304 MPa. This represents an increase of 42 pct. Finally, the simulation showed that the welding zone on the bumper has very good resistance to low speed impact since no permanent deformations were observed, that is, after the impact the bumper returns to its initial position.

Use of the FMVSS-214 static bending test to evaluate an automobile side door impact beam made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic

A side door impact beam absorbs energy and plays an important role in preventing intrusion of another vehicle into the occupant area. Impact beams are being actively researched to reduce vehicle weight while still meeting the strength requirements of environmental regulations and to improve fuel efficiency and enhance safety. No study has subjected a lightweight glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) impact beam to the Body in White (BIW) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)-214 quasi-static test. We compared three beams that differed in shape and stacking pattern. We performed three-point bending analyses, bending tests (including after bracket tightening), and static bending tests of door assemblies. The best GFRP beam (B) and a steel model were compared in terms of BIW static bending performance. The front-door GFRP beam exhibited an average reaction force 135% of that mandated by the FMVSS-214S test specification, an intermediate average reaction force 158% of that required, and a final force 154% of that required. In terms of bending performance, the initial average reaction force was 9.5% higher than that of the steel impact beam, and the rear door force was 6.6% lower. The reaction force of the GFRP beam decreased rapidly as breakage occurred after bending through 110.0–120.0 mm; however, the average reaction force was similar to that of the steel beam. Thus, the GFRP impact beam met the legal requirements but weighed 30% less than the steel beam.

Response Corridors for Blunt Impacts to the Back

Corridors for the biofidelity of blunt impact to the back are important for sled and crash testing with Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs). The Hybrid III is used in rear sled tests as part of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 202a. The only corridor for biofidelity is the neck extension. Eight Post Mortem Human Subjects (PMHS) were subjected to 20 blunt impacts with a 15.2 cm (6 in.) diameter pendulum weighing 23.4 kg. The impact was below T1 at 4.5 m/s and 6.7 m/s and below T6 at 4.5 m/s centered on the back. Head, neck, and chest responses were reported in 2001 [8]. In this study, the responses were scaled to the 50th male Hybrid III, and corridors were determined defining biofidelity for blunt impacts to the back. The scaled data gives an average peak force of 3.44 kN ± 0.74 kN at T1 and 4.5 m/s, 5.08 kN ± 1.35 kN at T1 and 6.7 ms, and 3.4 kN ± 1.2 kN at T6 and 4.5 m/s. The corresponding scaled deflection was 44.0 ± 19.7 mm, 60.2 ± 21.2 mm, and 53.1 ± 16.5 mm. The average stiffness of the back was 1.21 kN/cm at T1 and 4.5 m/s, 1.17 kN/cm at T1 and 6.7 m/s, and 1.14 kN/cm at T6 and 4.5 m/s. The corridors help to define biofidelity and can be used to assess the performance of the Hybrid III, Biofidelic Rear Impact Dummy (BioRID) II, and other ATDs.

Enhancing the properties of nylon 66 fabric coated with a combination of PVA and SiO2nanoparticles composite for vehicle airbag application

Due to increase in fabric thickness and decrease compactness in packing, film bonding is unfavorable for airbag fabrics, furthermore, the uncoated fabric fabricated with a high density but it still has hot gas leakage problems. This study focuses on enhancement of vehicle airbag nylon 66 fabric properties by using a combination of different concentration of silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) and low-density adhesion polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The results illustrated that the nylon 66 fabric, which coated with PVA and SiO2NPs presents an excellent property such as a thin layer reached at (0.009 mm), also thermal and mechanical properties have been enhanced to include better mechanical properties according to commercial guidelines airbag of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Additionally, the weight per square meter of nylon 66 fabric coated with the PVA and high concentration of SiO2NPs is 9.9 grams. Besides, the final dry weight of the coating (PVA/SiO2) material taken by the nylon 66 fabric is just 0.4 grams per square meter. The coated fabric demonstrated a hydrophobicity property in addition to the air-permeability has decreased by increasing the amount of SiO2NPs in the composite material. The PVA and SiO2NPs dispersed on the surface of the fabrics without any aggregation, as well, the coated fabric is gradually changed from flexible to hard which resulted in the better final performance in the proper and regular thickness along the whole fabric.

Enhanced Robust Design Optimization in Seat Belt Anchorage Strength for Front Crash Safety of Multi-Purpose Vehicle

This paper deals with an enhanced robust design optimization (RDO) method and its application to the strength design problem of seat belt anchorage, related to the front crash safety of multi-purpose vehicles. In order to determine the rational design safety of the newly developed automotive part, such as the seat, in which the reliability of the evaluation data is not sufficient at the design stage, it is necessary to implement a probabilistic design considering uncertainties. Thickness size variables of the seat frame structure’s members were considered random design variables, including uncertainties such as manufacturing tolerance, which are an inevitable hazard in the design of automotive parts. Probabilistic constraints were selected from the strength performances of the seat belt anchorage test, which are regulated in Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), and the strength performances were evaluated by finite element analyses. The RDO problem was formulated such that the random design variables were determined by minimizing the seat frame weight subject to the probabilistic strength performance constraints evaluated from the reliability analyses. Three sigma level quality was considered for robustness in side constraints. The mean value reliability method (MVRM) and adaptive importance sampling method (AISM) were used for the reliability analyses in the RDO, and reliability probabilities from the MVRM and the AISM on the probabilistic optimum design were assessed by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The RDO results according to the reliability analysis methods were compared to determine the optimum design results. In the case of the RDO with the AISM, the structure reliability was fully satisfied for all the constraint functions, so the most reliable structural safety was guaranteed for the seat frame design.

Three-dimensional Numerical Model of Free Motion Headform Used in Impact Tests on Vehicle Interior

FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 201, Standard on Occupant Protection in Interior Impact, requires that the FMH (Free Motion Headform) impact tests result in HIC(d) less than 1000. Especially in the early stage of a vehicle development it is very difficult to conduct the impact tests, so it is necessary to develop a numerical model by which HIC(d) can be predicted. A finite element model for both the FMH and a vehicle can be a good solution, but it needs quite some time and effort to develop such a model. A two-dimensional simple numerical model was developed to predict HIC(d) in the impact tests, but the model does not take into account the impacts where the FMH translates and rotates in three directions. Thus, in this study a new numerical model based on three-dimensional governing equations for the FMH impacting against the interior trim was developed and successfully applied to simulations of the impact tests.

Numerical investigation of occupant injury risks in car-to-end terminal crashes using dummy-based injury criteria and vehicle-based crash severity metrics

Guardrails were designed to deter vehicle access to off-road areas and consequently prevent hitting rigid fixed objects alongside the road (e.g. trees, utility poles, traffic barriers, etc.). However, guardrails cause 10 % of deaths in vehicle-to-fixed-object crashes, which recently attracted attention in the highway safety community on the vehicle-based injury criteria used in regulations. The objectives of this study were to investigate both full-body and body-region driver injury probabilities using finite element (FE) simulations, to quantify the influence of pre-impact conditions on injury probabilities, and to analyze the relationship between the vehicle-based crash severity metrics currently used in regulations and the injury probabilities assessed using dummy-based injury criteria.A total of 20 FE impact simulations between a car (Toyota Yaris) with a Hybrid III M50 dummy model in the driver seat and an end terminal model (ET-Plus) were performed in various configurations (e.g. pre-impact velocities, offsets, and angles). The driver’s risk of serious injuries (AIS 3+) was estimated based on kinematic and kinetic responses of the dummy during the crashes. A non-linear regression approach was used to compare the injury probabilities assessed in this study to the vehicle-based crash severity metrics used in the testing regulations. In particular, the US Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) guideline and European procedures (EN1317) were used for the study.All the recorded dummy-based injury criteria values pass the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 limits which indicated a low driver risk of serious injury. Overall, the pre-impact vehicle velocity showed to have the highest influence in almost all injury probabilities (59 %, 79 %, 62 %, and 44 % in full-body, head, neck, and chest injuries, respectively). The offset between vehicle midline and the guardrail barrier was the most important variable for thigh injuries (56 %). The assessed injury probabilities were compared to vehicle-based severity metrics. The full-body and chest injuries showed the highest correlation with Occupant Impact Velocity (OIV), Acceleration Severity Index (ASI), and Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV) (R2 > 0.6). Lower correlations of thigh injuries were recorded to OIV (R2 = 0.59) and THIV (R2 = 0.46). Meanwhile, weak correlations were observed between all the other regressions which indicated that no vehicle-based criteria could be used to predict head and neck injuries.Car-to-end terminal crash FE simulations involving a dummy model were performed for the first time in this study. The results pointed out the limitations of the standard vehicle-based injury methods in terms of head and neck injury prediction. The dummy-based injury assessment methodology presented in this study could supplement the crash tests for various impact conditions. In addition, the models could be used to design new advanced guardrail end terminals.

Increasing evacuation flow through school bus emergency roof hatches

Emergency escape roof hatches are used to evacuate school buses in rolled-over orientations. In the United States, the minimum opening size of a roof hatch is defined by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) no. 217. With the prevalence of rising obesity rates among children, the minimum roof hatch opening size may not be large enough to accommodate larger passengers. Post-accident conditions such as injuries, disorientation, and exit obstructions may also prevent unobstructed passage for egress within acceptable time limits. The purpose of this study was to redesign and fabricate a roof hatch with a larger opening and evaluate its egress characteristics for a range of typical school bus passengers. The larger roof hatch opening allows greater evacuation flow rates, and is almost functionally equivalent to the evacuation flow rate of the front door on an upright school bus.

Saving lives through vehicle safety

In the first two decades of the 21st century, more than 25 million people lost their lives to road traffic collisions—approximately 1·35 million per year or a death rate of 18·2 per 100 000 population.1WHOGlobal status report on road safety 2018. World Health Organization, Geneva2018Google Scholar During the same time period the number of vehicles in circulation has steadily increased to well above the 2 billion mark, with death rates per 100 000 vehicles declining from 135 to 64 while rates per 100 000 population have remained static.1WHOGlobal status report on road safety 2018. World Health Organization, Geneva2018Google Scholar These figures show that some small improvements have been possible, but much more action is required if we are to make progress towards to the new 50 by 30 target (an extension of Sustainable Development Goal 3.6) called for by ministers who attended the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference in Stockholm (Sweden) in February, 2020.2Declaration S Third global ministerial conference on road safety: achieving global goals 2030 Stockholm, Sweden.https://www.roadsafetysweden.com/contentassets/b37f0951c837443eb9661668d5be439e/stockholm-declaration-english.pdfDate: 19–20 February 2020Date accessed: April 14, 2020Google Scholar The world report on road traffic injury prevention published by WHO and the World Bank in 2004 moved away from the old paradigm of blaming the road user to one of promoting a safe system.3Peden M Scurfield R Sleet D et al.WHOWorld report on road traffic injury prevention. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2004Google Scholar This approach was endorsed by both World Health Assembly and United Nations General Assembly resolutions. The safe systems approach, sometimes also referred to as vision zero, recognises that humans are fallible and thus promotes a shared responsibility between road users, vehicles, and infrastructure to ensure a high level of safety.4Kristianssen A-C Andersson R Belin M-Å Nilsen P Swedish Vision Zero policies for safety—a comparative policy content analysis.Saf Sci. 2018; 103: 260-269Crossref Scopus (53) Google Scholar Vehicle safety technology plays an important role in reducing trauma from road traffic crashes5Ward D Truong J Global enhancement of vehicle safety-the urgency of now.J Australas Coll Road Saf. 2016; 27: 48Google Scholar, 6WHOSave LIVES: a road safety technical package. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2017Google Scholar and was recognised in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety global plan as pillar 3—safer vehicles.7WHOGlobal plan for the decade of action for road safety 2011–2020. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2011Google Scholar Vehicles that are well designed with appropriate safety technologies can accommodate human error through crash avoidance technologies, such as automatic breaking systems, electronic stability control, and through limiting the effects of kinetic energy on the human body through crashworthiness technologies, such as seatbelts, airbags, and pedestrian protection. However, not all cars and motorcycles around the world are assembled, sold, and operated with the same level of safety despite the promotion of eight priority safety standards by the UN.6WHOSave LIVES: a road safety technical package. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland2017Google Scholar In fact, only 40 (mainly high-income) countries have implemented seven or eight of these standards, while 124 (mainly low-income and middle-income) countries apply none, or only one, of these standards.1WHOGlobal status report on road safety 2018. World Health Organization, Geneva2018Google Scholar Unfortunately, it is in low-income and middle-income countries for which numbers of vehicle ownerships and collisions are growing the fastest and thus account for around 90% of road traffic deaths worldwide.1WHOGlobal status report on road safety 2018. World Health Organization, Geneva2018Google Scholar Most high-income countries have had safety standards in place for many decades and have shown how effective they are at saving lives. In the USA, for instance, technologies associated with the US federal motor vehicle safety standards prevented more than 600 000 deaths between 1960 and 2012.8US Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationLives saved by vehicle safety technologies and associated federal motor vehicle safety standards, 1960 to 2012–Passenger cars and LTVs. 2015. Washington, DC.https://www-esv.nhtsa.dot.gov/proceedings/24/files/24ESV-000291.PDFDate accessed: April 14, 2020Google Scholar Up until now, little robust evidence has been available on how many lives could be saved in low-income and middle-income countries. Kavi Bhalla and Kevin Gleason's study in The Lancet Global Health used counterfactual analysis to assess whether nine proven vehicle technologies would save lives if they were made widely available in Latin America. They found that electronic stability control would have the largest benefit in terms of both reductions in deaths and injuries. Increasing the use of seatbelts and child restraints and improving side and front impact through design modification would save further deaths. Improved vehicle design would result in 28·1% (12·8–39·2%) fewer deaths and 29·1% (13·5%–39·8%) fewer DALYs in the Latin and Caribbean region. By extrapolation, this important piece of research means that if every vehicle in the world was upgraded to the safest in its class, approximately a quarter to a third of road traffic deaths and injuries could be averted.9Bhalla K Gleason K Effect of improvements in vehicle safety design on road traffic deaths, injuries, and public health burden in the latin american region: a modelling study.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; 8: 819-828Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (13) Google Scholar Recognising this potential, the academic expert group to the 3rd Ministerial Conference on road safety recommended that “…vehicle manufacturers, governments and fleet purchasers ensure that all vehicles produced for every market be equipped with recommended levels of safety performance, that incentives for use of vehicles with enhanced safety performance be provided where possible, and that the highest possible levels of vehicle safety performance be required for vehicles used in private and public vehicle fleets”.10Road Safety SwedenSaving Lives Beyond 2020: The Next Steps. Swedish Transport Administration, Stockholm, SwedenOct, 2019https://www.roadsafetysweden.com/contentassets/c65bb9192abb44d5b26b633e70e0be2c/200113_final-report-single.pdfDate accessed: April 14, 2020Google Scholar Likewise, ministers attending the conference agreed to ensure “…that all vehicles produced and sold for every market by 2030 are equipped with appropriate levels of safety performance, and that incentives for use of vehicles with enhanced safety performance are provided where possible”.2Declaration S Third global ministerial conference on road safety: achieving global goals 2030 Stockholm, Sweden.https://www.roadsafetysweden.com/contentassets/b37f0951c837443eb9661668d5be439e/stockholm-declaration-english.pdfDate: 19–20 February 2020Date accessed: April 14, 2020Google Scholar Improving the safety of vehicles around the world is one of the most sustainable road safety interventions available. Making the public aware of vehicle safety through new car assessment programmes is crucial. Improving awareness of vehicle safety, coupled with the promise from governments to ensure that all their vehicles, including motorcycles, are equipped with the highest safety standards by 2030, could save millions of lives and dollars. I declare no competing interests. Effects of vehicle safety design on road traffic deaths, injuries, and public health burden in the Latin American region: a modelling studyRegulating and encouraging the use of proven vehicle safety technologies in LMICs would have large gains and needs to be prioritised in the SDG agenda for 2030. Full-Text PDF Open Access

Numerical child restraint system analysis in 6 years old infant during a dolly rollover test

This research analyzes the head and chest injuries with a finite element model of Hybrid III six years old during the vehicle rollover, using a passive safety Child restraint system (CRS). Vehicle seats and passive safety systems were modeled in CAD software. Subsequently, all elements were analyzed using the finite element method in the LS-DYNA® software. The border conditions were established for each study, in accordance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), following the FMVSS 213 standard for the mounting and fastening of the infant, the FMVSS 208 for the dolly rollover test methodology with which the vehicle rollover was performed. The vehicle Toyota Yaris 2010 was considered in all the analyzes. The numerical simulations were performed during an interval of 1 s, and there were obtained values every 2 ms to analyze the efficiency of the system and the restriction performance of the CRS system. It was compared the behavior when the chair uses a 5-point seatbelt, with respect to using the 3-point seatbelt, and what happens when holding the chair with the single seatbelt and with the ISOFIX anchorage. Three cases of studies were analyzed: Study I; CRS Study II; CRS with ISOFIX anchorage; and Study III; CRS with a seatbelt of 5-points. The outcome shows that the best restriction efficiency is that of the CRS 5 points seatbelt because it presents the lowest level of chest injury. In conclusion, the main factor to reduce injuries during a rollover accident is the correct anchoring of CRS, this is achieved with ISOFIX system, on the other hand, a good quality of material and a correct thickness used for the headrest could reduce the risk of a head injury.

Numerical Low-Back Booster Analysis in a 6-Year-Old Infant during a Dolly Rollover Test

This paper analyzes the possible head and chest injuries, produced in a Hybrid III dummy model of a six-year-old child during a rollover test, while the child uses a passive safety system low-back booster (LBB). Vehicle seats and passive safety systems were modeled with a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software; later, all elements were analyzed using the finite element method (FEM) with LS-DYNA® software. The border conditions were established for each study, in accordance with the regulations of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and following the FMVSS 213 standard for the mounting and fastening of the infant, the FMVSS 208 for the dolly methodology test with the vehicle rollover was performed, implementing such analysis under the same conditions for a vehicle Toyota Yaris 2010. The numerical simulations were performed during an interval of 1 second, obtaining data values for periods of 2 milliseconds. This paper examines the efficiency of the system; three case studies were carried out: Study I: vehicle seat belt (VSB); Study II: the LBB system was secured by the seat belt; Study III: the LBB system with ISOFIX anchorage. The values of decelerations for the head and thorax of the infant were obtained, as well as neck flexion and thoracic deflection. The main factor to reduce injuries during a rollover accident is the correct anchorage of the LBB, and this is achieved with the ISOFIX system, since it prevents the independent movement of the LBB, unlike when it is fastened with the seat belt of the vehicle. The results show low levels of head and chest injury when ISOFIX is used because of reduced thoracic deflection during infant retention.

Design a Space Frame Chassis for Light Weight Automobiles for Improved Safety and Reliability

The objective of this research is to design a spaceframe chassis for light weight automobiles possessing unladen weight of &amp;le; 550Kg to replace the conventional monocoque type chassis frame. The maximum stress and maximum deflection that the chassis can resist without fracturing are important criteria. In this thesis, the existing monocoque chassis was considered and analyzed under static loading, frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, front rollover and side rollover loading conditions by using Finite Element Analysis method. Then, taking the test results as a reference, a spaceframe chassis was designed for the same size vehicle. The critical evaluation standard points stated in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), U.S.A standard, were used as guideline to see the performance of the existing and the new chassis frames. The test results show that a space frame chassis has better stress resisting capacity and reliability than the conventional monocoque chassis frame under all impacts.

DISCRETE MATERIAL AND THICKNESS OPTIMIZATION OF POP-UP SEAT FRAME IN STATIC CONDITION

With the increase in the number of lightweight, high-strength and highperformance automotive parts, studies are being conducted on the application of highstrength and lightweight materials and the optimization of the thickness values of these parts. From a practical perspective, however, the indiscriminate use of highstrength and lightweight materials leads to very low mass production. Suggesting optimum design values also requires the adoption of new processes that are not practical for application in manufacturing processes. In this study, discrete material and thickness optimization (DMTO) that considers materials and thickness values for commercialization was applied. A simple model of a retractable seat frame for recreational vehicles (RVs), whose thickness and material were not fixed, was investigated. Tests were conducted to secure accurate material properties for finite element analysis (FEA), and constraints were set based on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 207 and FMVSS 210 tests. The results of DMTO were compared with those of discrete thickness optimization (DTO) to verify the validity of the design parameters.

Pelvis injury risk curves in side impacts from human cadaver experiments using survival analysis and Brier score metrics

Objectives: Post Mortem Human Surrogate (PMHS) experiments are used for describing tolerance and improve safety. For nearside impacts, the United States Standard Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS-214) used PMHS tests and binary regression methods to achieve these goals. Since this promulgation, Parametric Statistical Survival Modeling (PSSM) has become a de facto standard for developing injury risk curves (IRCs). This study is focused on pelvic injuries from side impacts. The objectives are as follows. Analyze impactor-based intact PMHS tests and develop IRCs at different AIS levels using the force metric and examine the effectiveness of other force-related variables on IRCs.Methods: Impactor-driven pelvic tests conducted using whole body PMHS were selected from published studies. The dataset had 63 tests. Peak force, 3-ms clip force, and impulse were used to develop IRCs for Abbreviated Injury Scores (AIS) AIS2+ and AIS3+, i.e., groups A and B. Brier Score Metric (BSM) was used for ranking metrics. 95% confidence intervals were computed, Normalized Confidence Interval Sizes (NCIS) were determined, and quality of the IRCs were obtained.Results: Impulse best described the underlying response of the pelvis. BSMs were the lowest for the impulse for both groups. At 10% and 50% probabilities, impulses were 71 Ns and 125 Ns for group A and 79 Ns and 160 Ns for group B; peak forces were 3.8 kN and 7.1 kN and 4 kN and 10 kN for groups A and B; and clip forces were 2.7 kN and 6.5 kN and 3.6 kN and 8.6 kN, for groups A and B. NCIS at discrete probability levels, qualities of risk curves, and individual IRCs are given.Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of using impulse to describe pelvis injury criteria in lateral impacts. These findings are applicable to anthropomorphic test devices, as matched pair tests are done to determine dummy-based injury criteria/injury assessment risk curves (IARCs). Although IRCs have been developed for WorldSID, it may be appropriate to use impulse-based IARCs. Because THOR is a potential device for automated vehicle environments, it may be appropriate to develop THOR-based IARCS. The present IRCs act as fundamental human-based injury criteria. These responses can also be used in human body and subsystem computational models.

Safe Transport of Spica Casted Children in Passenger Vehicles is Possible: A Frontal Crash Test Analysis of Child Restraint Systems Using Spica Casted Crash Test Dummies

Purpose: There is a paucity of data defining safe transport protocols for children treated with hip spica casting. No current restraint device has been tested using casted anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs). Our goal was to evaluate current restraint options in simulated frontal crash testing using a casted pediatric ATD.&#x0D; Methods: Using an ATD simulating a 3-year-old child, dynamic crash sled tests simulating a frontal crash were performed in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213 (FMVSS 213). Sensors within the ATD recorded: HIC36 (Head Injury Criterion score; predictive of skull fracture), neck injury assessment (Nij), chest compression, chest acceleration, and pelvic injury assessment. Test crash video visual assessment was performed (Figures 1&amp;2). The ATD was casted in a double-leg spica. Five restraint devices were tested: seat designed for spica-casted children (Merrit Wallenberg), modified restraint harness (Modified EZ-On-Vest), commercially available booster seat (Britax Parkway SGL Booster), and two commercially available forward-facing car seats able to accommodate the casted ATD (Diono Radian R100, Graco Nautilus 65 LX). One test was performed for each restraint system. All tests were performed at 30 MPH on a deceleration sled.&#x0D; Results: Although the presence of the cast increased many of the injury metrics measured, all 5 seats that were tested passed current FMVSS 213 federal guidelines for the head and chest. However, there were marked differences between the 5 restraint options (Figures 3-5). No single seat performed best in all metrics. Additionally, visual analysis of the video from the test crash of the EZ-On-Vest demonstrated that the face and upper extremities of the ATD are impacted during the crash. The ATD does not have a way to record injury to the extremities, thus this is not captured in the quantitative data.&#x0D; Conclusions: Per the FMVSS 213 standard, these results suggest safe transport in the five evaluated restraint systems is possible with the child properly fitted and restrained. However, the Nautilus and Diono were found to have both the lowest HIC36 and chest acceleration values, suggesting casted children may not need specially designed seats. Additionally, review of the video of the EZ-On Vest appears to demonstrate that the vest may expose the casted child to additional facial and extremity injuries compared to systems that allow the child to sit upright.&#x0D; Significance: Parents should not assume a restraint system is automatically appropriate for use with their child. While there were differences in the performances of the tested restraint systems, each child is unique and a trained healthcare provider should be consulted to ensure the child is properly restrained.

School bus rear emergency door design improvements to increase evacuation flow

United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217 specifies the design requirements for school bus emergency exits. One component of a school bus evacuation system requires that the rear emergency door be fitted with a device that is capable of holding the door in an open position at the point at which the door is perpendicular to the rear of the bus body, regardless of the bus orientation. In the case where a school bus is rolled onto the driver’s side of the vehicle, the rear emergency door hinge will be located at the top of the door. Due to the substantial weight of the door, pushing the door to the locked open position with the bus in this configuration requires forces that exceed the capabilities, both strength and anthropometry, of many adults and nearly all young children. This would result in the door hanging in the opening of the exit, obstructing the egress of passengers as they attempt evacuation, and increasing the potential for disastrous consequences. The purpose of this study was to design, fabricate, and evaluate an alternative rear emergency door hold-open device that allows the door to be held partially open and provides unobstructed passage. The results revealed that the alternative hold-open device facilitated significantly faster flow rates than the rear emergency door hold-open device currently in use on school buses.