Comparison of Frontal Crashes in Terms of Average Acceleration

Abstract

A comparison between the acceleration pulses of vehicle- to-vehicle crash tests with those of different single-vehicle crash tests is presented in this paper. The severity of the full-frontal rigid barrier test with that of the vehicle-to-vehicle crash test based on average acceleration and time-to-zero velocity is compared. Based on this, a 30 mph full-frontal rigid barrier test is found equivalent to a 41 mph vehicle-to-vehicle crash. A reduced speed of 22 mph for full-frontal rigid barrier test is found to represent vehicle-to-vehicle crashes with 50%-100% overlap, with each vehicle traveling at 30 mph. A comparison of the acceleration pulses from different crash tests based on the pulse shape and the pulse phase cross- correlation. None of the single-vehicle crash tests have been found to resemble vehicle-to-vehicle crashes in terms of the pulse shape and the pulse phase is also presented. The single-vehicle crash test closest to the vehicle-to-vehicle crash, in terms of pulse shape, is the offset rigid barrier test. The single-vehicle crash test, most distinct from the vehicle-to-vehicle crash, in terms of pulse phase, is the offset deformable barrier test.