PROBLEM WITH DETERMINING THE VEHICLE IMPACT VELOCITY FOR CAR BODIES BREAKING APART

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of a passenger car on a tree, which resulted in the car body breaking apart. A side impact of the car on a tree at high driving speeds is not a standard test in the provisions of the applicable Directives of the European Economic Community, even though the impact poses a serious threat to the driver and the passengers. The threat comes from a deep impaction of the barrier into the body which damages the safety cage. For such impacts, it is very difficult for the vehicle speed to be reconstructed. In practice, expert witnesses and appraisers usually disregard the body-breaking-apart-related energy due to a difficulty in establishing the data for such calculations, which leads to simplifications and speed underestimates. Performing the right simulation of such impacts with accident reconstruction programs without determining the adequate input data for calculations is also impossible to calculate. This paper presents a range of studies and calculations for such incidents and for identifying the input parameters for collision simulations. The approach presented in this article should be used by expert witnesses and researchers. Therefore, this paper provides insights into theory and practice.