Citation

Adalian C, Sferco R, Fay PA. Proc. Int. Tech. Conf. Enhanced Safety Vehicles 2005; 2005: 14p.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, In public domain, Publisher National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) has carried out a study looking at the repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed test procedures and injury criteria. For repeatability, 3 repeat tests were carried out on 3 different seats using a 16 km/h delta-V test pulse. To evaluate reproducibility, the same 3 seats were tested to a common protocol at 5 different test labs using two different test pulses (16 and 25 km/h delta-V). The sleds used included both acceleration and deceleration types. A wide range of acceleration, simple force/moment and combined force and moment injury criteria were evaluated. In general, repeatability of the sled pulses was reasonable but significant variations in pulses and test set up were found between laboratories. As a result, more precise procedures, test pulse corridors and an agreed definition of T sub zero (beginning of impact) are needed. Repeatability of most of the injury criteria at 16 km/h was acceptable but reproducibility was poor, with variations of up to 40% for some of the criteria. The situation was even worse at 25 km/h, with some criteria showing variations of over 100%. Great care therefore needs to be exercised in selecting appropriate injury criteria, in selecting the stringency of assessment limits and in comparing results from different laboratories. The variation in results also questions the use of high severity pulses for neck injury assessment.