Restitution and Crash Pulse Duration from Low-Speed Crash Tests

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Frontal crashes are the most common crash mode in the US vehicle fleet, and a large proportion of these crashes are “fender-benders” or low-speed collisions. This, among other considerations, led the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to conduct a series of low-speed front and rear bumper impact tests. These crash tests have been performed on passenger vehicles manufactured by various manufacturers since 1970 and continuing through the 2009 model year. Test data and video for individual tests are available through IIHS’s online data portal, most extensively for model years 2007 to 2009. While IIHS’s test protocol varied over the years, these tests specified, in part, a full engagement impact of the tested vehicle into a rigid, bumper-shaped barrier covered with an energy absorber. Although IIHS reported the closing speed for each test, they did not report the separation speed or crash pulse duration. These values have been determined, in the current study, by analyzing the high-speed video provided for each test by IIHS. While restitution (which characterizes the relationship between impact and separation speeds) and crash pulse duration for low-speed impacts have been previously discussed in the literature, a comprehensive analysis of low-speed crash test data has not been published. Furthermore, since the IIHS test data consisted of both underride and full engagement tests (as classified by IIHS), this paper will also evaluate the difference in restitution and crash pulse duration between these impact configurations.</div></div>