Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317

To assess the safety performance of crash cushions, guidelines or standards are used. Real-life accident conditions might deviate substantially from the approval test conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate occupant safety in passenger cars in the event of an impact against a crash cu...

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Main Authors: Ernst Tomasch, Gregor Gstrein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Infrastructures
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/9/3/59
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author Ernst Tomasch
Gregor Gstrein
author_facet Ernst Tomasch
Gregor Gstrein
author_sort Ernst Tomasch
collection DOAJ
description To assess the safety performance of crash cushions, guidelines or standards are used. Real-life accident conditions might deviate substantially from the approval test conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate occupant safety in passenger cars in the event of an impact against a crash cushion. Real-life accident configurations deviate significantly from the impact configurations used in the approval test EN 1317. In four different tests, two vehicles regularly used in EN 1317 and two vehicles with improved safety equipment (airbag, pretensioner, and load limiter) are used. The impact speed is 100 km/h, whereas the crash cushion is designed for an impact speed of 80 km/h. One configuration is defined as a full overlap, and one has a 50% offset. The ASI (Acceleration Severity Index), THIV/OIV (Theoretical Head Impact Velocity/Occupant Impact Velocity), and PHD/ORA (Post Head Deceleration/Occupant Ride down Acceleration) are calculated from the acceleration signals. The offset impact was more serious for both the regularly used vehicle and the vehicle with improved safety equipment. Vehicles with improved safety equipment do not have any influence on these criteria. It is apparent that new occupant safety technologies will not have any influence on occupant safety performance. The criteria currently in use are more likely to be of use for assessing vehicle performance rather than occupant safety.
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spelling doaj.art-01891ebc7ccb47218ff07f8441ca36e12024-03-27T13:47:02ZengMDPI AGInfrastructures2412-38112024-03-01935910.3390/infrastructures9030059Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317Ernst Tomasch0Gregor Gstrein1Vehicle Safety Institute, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13/VI, 8010 Graz, AustriaVehicle Safety Institute, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13/VI, 8010 Graz, AustriaTo assess the safety performance of crash cushions, guidelines or standards are used. Real-life accident conditions might deviate substantially from the approval test conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate occupant safety in passenger cars in the event of an impact against a crash cushion. Real-life accident configurations deviate significantly from the impact configurations used in the approval test EN 1317. In four different tests, two vehicles regularly used in EN 1317 and two vehicles with improved safety equipment (airbag, pretensioner, and load limiter) are used. The impact speed is 100 km/h, whereas the crash cushion is designed for an impact speed of 80 km/h. One configuration is defined as a full overlap, and one has a 50% offset. The ASI (Acceleration Severity Index), THIV/OIV (Theoretical Head Impact Velocity/Occupant Impact Velocity), and PHD/ORA (Post Head Deceleration/Occupant Ride down Acceleration) are calculated from the acceleration signals. The offset impact was more serious for both the regularly used vehicle and the vehicle with improved safety equipment. Vehicles with improved safety equipment do not have any influence on these criteria. It is apparent that new occupant safety technologies will not have any influence on occupant safety performance. The criteria currently in use are more likely to be of use for assessing vehicle performance rather than occupant safety.https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/9/3/59crash cushionoccupant safetyEN 1317ASITHIVPHD
spellingShingle Ernst Tomasch
Gregor Gstrein
Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
Infrastructures
crash cushion
occupant safety
EN 1317
ASI
THIV
PHD
title Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
title_full Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
title_fullStr Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
title_full_unstemmed Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
title_short Impacts on Crash Cushions—Analysis of the Safety Performance of Passenger Cars with Improved Safety Equipment Compared with Test Vehicles Based on Assessment Criteria as Defined in EN 1317
title_sort impacts on crash cushions analysis of the safety performance of passenger cars with improved safety equipment compared with test vehicles based on assessment criteria as defined in en 1317
topic crash cushion
occupant safety
EN 1317
ASI
THIV
PHD
url https://www.mdpi.com/2412-3811/9/3/59
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AT gregorgstrein impactsoncrashcushionsanalysisofthesafetyperformanceofpassengercarswithimprovedsafetyequipmentcomparedwithtestvehiclesbasedonassessmentcriteriaasdefinedinen1317