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Page 1 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
SEMINAR REPORT
On
“CRASH TESTING OF CARS”
SubmittedTo
VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITYJNANA SANGAMA, BELGAUM
In the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of
The Degree
BACHELORS OF ENGINEERING In
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
By
ARJUN B.A. (USN: 1RR09ME007)
Under the Guidance
Of
ANAND A.Asst Prof, M.E.Dept
RAJARAJESWARI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINGDEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
KUMBALAGODU, BENGALURU – 560074.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 2 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
RAJARAJESWARI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING #14, Ramohalli, Kumbalagodu, Mysore Road, Bengaluru - 560074.
(Affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University & Approved by AICTE, New Delhi)
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
CERTIFICATE
Certified that the seminar work entitled, “CRASH TESTING OF CARS”, is a
bonafide work carried out in the department by ARJUN B.A. bearing USN:
1RR09ME007 in the partial fulfillment of the award of Bachelors of Engineering in
Mechanical Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU),
Belgaum during the academic year 2012 - 2013. It is certified that all corrections /
suggestions indicated for internal assessment have been incorporated in the report
deposited in the departmental library. The seminar report has been approved as it satisfies
the academic requirements in respect of seminar work prescribed for the said degree.
Signature of the Guide Signature of the HOD
(ANAND A.) (Dr .SHANKAR REDDY)
Signature of the Principal
(Dr. M. S. BHAGYASHEKAR)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 3 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my deep gratitude to almighty, the supreme
guide, for bestowing his blessings upon me in my entire endeavor.
I would express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. M.S. Bhagyashekar for his continuous support
and encouragement.
I would like to my sincere thanks to Dr. R. Shankar Reddy head of department of
Mechanical Engineering for all his assistance.
I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude to associate professor Anand .A Department
of Mechanical Engineering who guided throughout the seminar.
Finally, I would also like to thank all the lecturers of Mechanical department for their
valuable suggestions.
ARJUN B.A.
(USN: 1RR09ME007)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 4 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 5
INTRODUCTION 6
CRASH TEST DUMMIES 7
INSTRUMENTATION 10
ABSORPTION MECHANISM OF CRASH ENERGY 11
TYPES OF CRASH TEST 13
FRONTAL CRASH TESTING 13
FRONTAL OFFSET CRASH TESTING 14
SIDE CRASH TESTING 15
POLE CRASH TEST 16
SAFETY FEATURES 17
CASE STUDY:HONDA CR-V 19
IIHS FRONTAL CRASH TEST 20
IIHS FRONTAL OFFSET CRASH TEST 20
IIHS SIDE CRASH TEST 21
CRASH TEST RATINGS OF THE CARS BY NHTSA 22
NHTSA RATINGS FOR HONDA CR-V 23
CRASH TESTING CENTERS 25
CONCLUSIONS 26
BIBLIOGRAPHY 27
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 5 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
ABSTRACT
Driving a car is a high in itself, but safety is important too. Choosing a
safer car is very important to help prevent crashes and accidents. While cars are
becoming safer each year and fatality rates are falling, car crashes continue to be
one of the primary causes of death and injury. Thus, a thorough crash-testing
program is critical for the car makers (Carmakers themselves crash many
vehicles each year!) and has contributed significantly to the improving safety of
cars. Finding out whether newly improved safety features will perform
efficiently in an accident is the crash-testing facility’s responsibility. The idea is
to use every part of the vehicle in some way to save the occupant rather than the
vehicle. One would be amazed at how much thought and preparation goes into
making sure that safe cars are on the roads! In this paper I try to present all
about automotive crash testing – types, ratings, infrastructure required for
conducting tests, dummies and safety improvements.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 6 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
INTRODUCTION
Every year, over 80,000 people die on Indian roads; every five road
accidents leave one dead. Yet, it's just a statistic, which hardly changes our
apathy towards road safety. Yes, road safeties are an unpleasant, boring subject,
but remember, it affects us all.
In recent years, cars have got much safer. One reason is that safety is
now a selling point in new cars. Frontal collisions, offset collisions, cars hitting
another vehicle or object in the traffic environment they are all tested using cars
of different sizes. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on three aspects of
performance — measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment,
injury measures from a dummy positioned in the driver seat, and analysis of
slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy
movement during the test.
The different aspects of the crash testing are discussed below: -
Infrastructure:
Crash testing needs infrastructure that could best simulate the
real road conditions, and capture the details required for crash analysis. The
basic infrastructure, any crash testing facility would need are:
A crash laboratory with an advanced high-tech crash barrier.
An outdoor test track that accommodates research for different weather
conditions.
Highly advanced crash simulator
Lighting system, this can provide up to 750,000 watts of illumination
without glare to film tests in slow motion. The resulting pictures must be
clear and dramatic.
Equipment for advanced component testing.
Supercomputers that crash tests non-existing cars. A system that propels
vehicles to impact, accelerating full-size pickups up to 50 mph.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 7 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
CRASH TEST DUMMIES
Meet the Drivers
Hybrid III and Euro SID II have experienced dozens of crashes first-
hand. Their role is vital: the accident simulations rely on having a driver and
passenger aboard to provide a full picture of likely injuries in a crash, although
the pedestrian safety tests use simulated limbs to chart what happens in a
collision.
What Dummies Know
Dummies provide vital clues to what happens in a crash. Our limb- by-limb
anatomy guide explains how data is sourced.
Crash Test Dummies
The dummy's job is to simulate a human being during a crash, while
collecting data that would not be possible to collect from a human occupant. The
dummies come in different sizes and they are referred to by percentile and
gender. A dummy is built from materials that mimic the physiology of the
human body. For example, it has a spine made from alternating layers of metal
discs and rubber pads.
All crash tests are conducted using the same type of dummy (Nowadays the
most commonly used is the Hybrid III)
With the help of a number of specially built rig s, studies are being conducted to
discover what happens when parts of the human body collide with parts of the interior or
exterior of a car.
Crash test dummies are carefully calibrated and then positioned in vehicles to mimic
the movement of humans and record crash forces during the tests. Each complex dummy
includes 25 to 40 sensors to record the forces on various parts of the body.
Head
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 8 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
The head is made of aluminum and covered in rubber 'flesh'. Inside, three
accelerometers are set at right angles, each providing data on the forces and
accelerations to which the brain would be subjected in a crash
.
Neck
Features measuring devices to detect the bending, shear and tension
forces on the neck as the head is thrown forwards and backwards during the
impact.
Arm
Neither carries any instrumentation. In a crash test, the arms fly around in
an uncontrolled way, and although serious injuries are uncommon, it is difficult
to provide worthwhile protection against them.
Chest (front impact)
Hybrid Ill's steel ribs are fitted with equipment that records deflection of
the rib cage in the frontal impact. Injuries result if forces exerted on the chest,
such as from the seat belt are too great.
Chest (side impact)
The side-impact dummy, Euro SID II, has a different chest from the others and
three ribs are instrumented to record compression of the chest and the velocity of this
compression
Abdomen
Euro SID II is equipped with sensors to record forces likely to cause abdominal
injury.
Pelvis
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 9 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Euro SID II has instruments fitted in its pelvic girdle. They record lateral
forces that may result in fractures or hip-joint dislocation.
Upper Leg
In Hybrid III, this area is made up of the pelvis, femur (thigh) and knee. Load cells
in the femur provide data in frontal impacts on likely injury to all sections, including the
hip joint, which can suffer fractures and dislocations. A 'knee slider' is used to measure
forces transmitted through the dummy's knees, particularly if they strike the lower fascia.
Lower Leg
Instruments fitted inside the dummies' legs measure bending, shear, compression
and tension, allowing injury risks to the tibia (shin-bone) and fibula (connecting knee to
ankle) to be assessed.
Feet and Ankles
Assessment of injury risk in the rental impact is made by afterwards measuring
distortion and rearward movement of the driver’s foot well area.
Fig: Euro SID II Fig: Hybrid III
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 10 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
INSTRUMENTATION
The dummies contain following three types of instrumentation: -
1. Accelerometers: - Measure the acceleration in a particular direction. This data
can be used to determine the probability of injury. Inside the dummy's head, there is an
accelerometer that measures the acceleration in all three directions (fore-aft, up-down, left-
right). There are also accelerometers in the other parts of the body.
2. Load Sensors: - Inside the dummy are load sensors that measure the amount of
force on different body parts during a crash. The maximum load in the bone can be used to
determine the probability of it breaking.
3. Movement Sensors: - These sensors are used in the dummy's chest. They
measure how much the chest deflects during a crash.
Before the crash-test dummies are placed in the vehicle, researchers apply different
colors of paint to the parts of the dummies' bodies most likely to hit during a crash. The
paint marks in the car will indicate what part of the body hit what part of the vehicle inside
the cabin. This information helps researchers develop improvements to prevent that type
of injury in future crashes.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 11 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
ABSORPTION MECHANISM OF CRASH ENERGY
Obviously the ideal crash would be no crash at all. But, let's assume you are going
to crash, and that you want the best possible chances of survival. How can all of the safety
systems come together to give you the smoothest crash possible?
Surviving a crash is all about kinetic energy. When the body of occupant is moving
(say at 35 mph), it has a certain amount of kinetic energy. After the crash, when it comes
to a complete stop, it will have zero kinetic energy. To minimize risk of injury, removing
the kinetic energy as slowly and evenly as possible is done by some of the following
safety systems in the car: -
1. As soon as car hits the barrier the seatbelt can then absorb some of your energy before
the airbag deploys.
2. Milliseconds later as the driver moves forward towards the airbag, the force in the
seatbelt holding him back would start to hurt him, so the force limiters make sure that
the force in the seatbelts doesn't get too high.
3. Next, the airbag deploys and absorbs some more of your forward motion while
protecting you from hitting anything hard.
In a crash it is desirable that most of the crash energy is absorbed and dissipated in
the deformation of components of each vehicle. For this purpose: -
Crumple Zones are vacant spaces in the front portion of the car that act as cushions,
where metal parts are supposed to deform and absorb all the kinetic energy of the
vehicle.
The engine on most cars is mounted so that in a crash, it is forced backwards and
downward so that it won't come into the cabin and injure the occupant.
Increasing the use of engine/suspension cradles allows designers to better control this
deformation and to by-pass very rigid components such as engine blocks, which are
not effective energy absorbers.
To avoid load concentrations it is important that the crash forces are spread across the
face of the deformable barrier.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 12 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
In a collision between two vehicles the occupants of the heavier vehicle would
generally be better off, due to the physics of the collision. In the case of four-wheel-
drive vehicles colliding with passenger cars, however, this advantage can be
diminished by a stiff front structure.
Integrity of the passenger compartment should be maintained in the crash test. The
steering column, dash, roof, roof pillars, pedals and floor panels should not be pushed
excessively inwards, where they are more likely to injure the occupants.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 13 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
TYPES OF CRASH TESTS
Simulating every accident type is impossible, which is why there are number of
standardized crash tests (which may resemble most of the crashes that may take place)
based on international classifications and industry practices are used in the development of
the vehicle. This defines a repeatable way of conducting crashes, so that improvements
can be quantified and modifications made. The four standard crash tests conducted are:
Frontal Crash Test
Offset Crash Testing
Side Impact Test
Pole Crash Test
Frontal Crash Testing :
At 35 mph (56 kph), the car runs straight into a solid concrete barrier. This is
equivalent to a car moving at 35 mph hitting another car of comparable weight moving at
35 mph. The kinetic energy involved in the frontal crash test depends on the speed and
weight of the test vehicle. Crashing the full width of a vehicle into a rigid barrier
maximizes energy absorption so that the integrity of the occupant compartment, or safety
cage, can be maintained well in all but not in very high-speed crashes. Full-width rigid-
barrier tests produce high occupant compartment decelerations, so they're especially
demanding of restraint systems (Figure.1)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 14 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Frontal Offset Crash Testing:
Fig.1
Fig. 2
In offset tests, only one side of a vehicle's front end, not the full width, hits the
barrier so that a smaller area of the structure, about 40% of the width of the front of the
vehicle on the driver's side must manage the crash energy. This means the front end on the
struck side crushes more than in a full-width test, and intrusion into the occupant
compartment is more likely.
In the offset crash test the vehicle is travels at 64kph (40mph) and
collides with a crushable aluminum barrier, which makes the forces in the test
similar to those involved in a frontal offset crash between two vehicles of the
same weight. The resulting crash forces place severe demands on the structure of
the vehicle, particularly on the driver's side. This test is also conducted by using
two vehicles of same weight, at 40mph. (Figure: 2)
The test results can be compared only among vehicles of similar weight.
The vehicle structure affects the outcome of an offset frontal crash in two main
ways: -absorption and dissipation of crash energy and integrity of the passenger
compartment. The bottom line is that full-width tests are especially demanding
of restraints but less demanding of structure, while the reverse is true in offsets.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 15 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
S ide Crash Test:
Fig.3
Fig.4
In the side test a sled (of about 1,368-kg) with a deformable "bumper" runs into the
side of the test vehicle at around 31mph. The test simulates a car that is crossing an
intersection being sides wiped by a car running a red light. Side impacts can be of two
types: - perpendicular impact and angled impact (as shown in figure above).
The protection of occupants in side impacts is more important as the space between the
car’s body and the occupant is much less than with the front and rear. Side impact crash
test ratings can be compared across vehicle type and weight categories, while frontal crash
test ratings cannot. This is because the kinetic energy involved in the side impact test
depends on the weight and speed of the moving barrier, which are the same in every test.
(Figure 3)
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 16 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Pole Crash Test:
A series of tests are carried out to replicate accidents involving child and adult
pedestrians where impacts occur at 40kph (25mph). Impact sites are then assessed and
rated fair, weak and poor. As with other tests, these are based on European Enhanced
Vehicle-safety Committee guidelines Accident patterns vary from country to country
within Europe, but approximately a quarter of all serious-to-fatal injuries happen in side
impact collisions. Many of these injuries occur when one car runs into the side of another.
To encourage
manufacturers to
fit head protection
devices, an
optional pole or
head protection
test may be
performed, where
such safety
features are fitted.
Side impact head
airbags help to
protect the head by
providing a
padding effect and by preventing the head from passing through the window opening. In
the test, the car tested is propelled sideways at 29kph (18mph) into a rigid pole. The pole
is relatively narrow, so there is major penetration into the side of the car.
In an impact without the head protecting airbag, a driver's head could hit the pole with
sufficient force to cause a fatal head injury. Typically a head injury criterion of 5000 is
possible, five times that which indicates the likelihood of serious brain injury.
In contrast, the head injury criterion in these new crash tests with a head protection
airbag is around 100 to 300, well below the injury reference value. A side impact airbag
with head protection makes this kind of crash survivable despite the severity
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 17 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
SAFETY FEATURES
1. Anti-lock Brake Systems
Prevent a car's wheels from locking during 'panic' braking and allow the driver to
maintain steering control as the car slows down. It keeps the car going straight, even after
applying brakes on a slippery surface.
2. Side Impact Bars/Side Door beams
Side impact bars are made from high strength steel tubes and are fitted into the
central portion of the door panels, thus increasing their strength. Stronger doors protect
passengers during a side impact.
3. Three - Stage Protective Bumper
It includes
Unique plastic energy absorber and reinforced steel Impact.
Energy absorber that crushes upon collision that prevents severe damage
to body.
Reinforced Impact Beam and Bracket that perform a double shock
absorbing function.
4. Roll Control
A Roll Control device in the front suspension imparts greater stability and prevents
the car from toppling over while negotiating sharp curves at high speeds.
5. Fuel Tank safety
In some cars the fuel tank is designed to stay intact even in a big accident allowing
no leaks at all. The fuel tank is also centrally located for safety and performance-keeping it
out of way in the event of an accident.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 18 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
6. Seat Belts
They hold the person in an optimal position in the event of a car crash. They also
reduce the risk of collision with the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield.
7. Air Bags
Airbags are very useful in avoiding two types of accidents: rear-end and head-on
collisions. They are very important in a crash because depending on the speed at impact
and the stiffness of the object struck, front air bags inflate to prevent your head and face
from striking your car's interior, especially the dashboard, steering wheel and windshield.
In a head-on crash, sensors take less than 1/20th of a second to alert the inflators that fill
the bag. Using air bags in conjunction with automatic safety belts provides much more
protection than using either one alone. Side air bags reduce the risk of occupants hitting
the door or object that crash through it. They provide additional chest protection by
inflating instantly during many side crashes; some, also provide head protection.
8. Head Restraints
Head restraints are extensions of the car's seats that limit head movement during a
rear-impact crash, thus, reducing the probability of neck injury.
9. Collapsible Steering
The steering wheel column in a collapsible steering works in two stages to absorb
impact in the event of an air crash. This protects the driver from being trapped between the
steering wheel and seat, during a collision.
10. Non-jamming Doors
During a heavy collision the front doors are pushed over the outer skin of the rear
doors, leaving them free to open.
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 19 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
CASE STUDY: CRASH TEST CONDUCTED ON A
“HONDA CR-V” BY INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR
HIGHWAY SAFETY (IIHS)
The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV, manufactured since 1995 by Honda. It was
loosely derived from the Honda Civic. The "CR-V" stands for “Compact Recreational
Vehicle". It is produced in both four-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, with availability
differing by market.
TESTED VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS:
2013 Honda CR-V EX 4wd
Class: Small SUV
Weight: 3,512 lbs.
Wheelbase: 103 in.
Length: 178 in.
Width: 72 in.
Engine: 2.4 L 4-cylinder
Side airbags: front and rear head curtain airbags and front seat-mounted torso airbags
Rollover sensor: designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an
impending rollover
Electronic stability control
Antilock brakes
Daytime running lights
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 20 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
IIHS FRONTAL CRASH TEST
TEST DETAILS:
Restraints/dummy kinematics — Dummy movement was well controlled.
The driver side curtain and side torso airbags deployed during the crash.
After the dummy moved forward into the frontal airbag, it rebounded into the seat
without its head coming close to any stiff structure that could cause injury.
Injury measures — Measures taken from the dummy indicate a low risk of any
significant injuries in a crash of this severity.
OVERALL EVALUATION:
Structure/safety cage
Injury measures
Restraints/dummy kinematicsHead/neck Chest Leg/foot, left Leg/foot, right
Good Acceptable Marginal Poor
IIHS FRONTAL OFFFSET CRASH TEST
TEST DETAILS:
Driver — the dummy’s head was protected from being hit by any hard structures,
including the intruding barrier, by a side curtain airbag that deployed from the roof
and a side airbag that deployed from the seat.
The frontal airbag also deploys during the test.
OVERALL EVALUATION:
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 21 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Structure/safety cage
Injury measures
Restraints/dummy kinematicsHead/neck Chest Leg/foot, left Leg/foot, right
Good Acceptable Marginal Poor
IIHS SIDE CRASH TEST
TEST DETAILS:
Driver — Measures taken from the dummy indicate that a fracture of the pelvis
would be possible in a crash of this severity. The risk of significant injuries to
other body regions is low.
Rear passenger — Measures taken from the dummy indicate a low risk of any
significant injuries in a crash of this severity.
OVERALL EVALUATION:
Injury measures
Head protection Structure/safety cageHead/neck Torso Pelvis/leg
Driver
Rear passenger
Good Acceptable Marginal Poor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 22 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
CRASH TEST RATINGS FOR THE CARS BY NHTSA
(NATIONAL HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORT SAFETY
AUTHORITY)
In frontal crashes, the worst score on the following three criteria determines the star
rating: -
Head Injury Criteria (HIC)
Chest deceleration
Femur load
In side-impact crashes, there are three criteria:
Driver and passenger injury measures
Head protection
Structural performance
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Ratings for Frontal-Impact Tests
# Of Stars Result
5 10% or lower chance of serious injury
4 11% to 20% chance of serious injury
3 21% to 35% chance of serious injury
2 36% to 45% chance of serious injury
1 46% or greater chance of serious injury
Page 23 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Tata Indigo has passed all the standards of full frontal and offset frontal crash tests as
well as endurance safety tests. Tata has also recently tested Indica, Sierra and Safari
successfully.
Ford's Freestyle, a midsize SUV introduced for the 2012 model year, earned the highest
rating in a 40 mph frontal test.
NHTSA ratings for the 2013 Honda CR-V EX 4wd
Other, Overall Rollover Rating:…………………………………..
Side - Pole, Side - Pole:……………………………………………
Side, Rear Seat:……………………………………………………
Overall, Overall: ………………………………………………….
Side - Pole Barrier combined,
Side - Pole Barrier combined (REAR):……………………………
Front, Overall Front:………………………………………………
Side - Pole Barrier combined,
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Ratings for Side-Impact Tests
# Of Stars Result
5 5% or lower chance of serious injury
4 6% to 10% chance of serious injury
3 11% to 20% chance of serious injury
2 21% to 25% chance of serious injury
1 26% or greater chance of serious injury
Page 24 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Side - Pole Barrier combined (FRONT):………………………….
Front, Driver's: …………………………………………………..
Side, Front Seat:.…………………………………………………
Side - Barrier, Side - Barrier: ……………………………………
Front, Passenger's:………………………………………………..
Side, Overall Side:……………………………………………….
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 25 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
CRASH TESTING C ENTERS
Throughout the world there are many institutes who crash test vehicles, each
organization’s test results are generally for vehicles sold in its respective country or
region.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS- U.S)
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ratings.htm
NHTSA (National Highway and Transport Safety Authority New Car Assessment
Programme USA) provides individual ratings for frontal impact, side impact and
roll-over resistance out of five-stars.
Euro NCAP: Established in 1997 and now backed by five European Governments.
www.euroncap.com
New Car Assessment Japan: evaluates the safety of automobiles currently on the
Japanese market.
http://www.nasva.go.jp/english
Australian NCAP (ANCAP): Australian and New Zealand automobile clubs
supports Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
http://www.aaa.asn.au/ancap.htm
India has centers for crash testing at the Automotive Research Association of India
(ARAI) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in Bangalore.
Tata Motors’s is the only carmaker in India that has a crash-test facility located at
huge plant in Pune established in 1996.
CONCLUSION
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 26 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
The safety deficits of cars observed in accident statistics can be alleviated if the
structures of these cars are designed and optimized for the situation they will most likely
encounter in a real world situation.
One of the prime reasons for the alarming increase in deaths due to accidents in
India is that crash testing of vehicles is not mandatory. Every carmaker emphasizes that
his make is better. But the consumer has to change his approach and consider that car,
which can best avoid injuries to him in a crash. This will force the carmakers to crash test
all the vehicles they launch and provide all the necessary information to the consumer,
and facilitate him in buying a safe car.
Crash testing leads to improvement of the safety systems. These systems again
have to be tested for their workability during a crash. Hence crash testing plays a vital role
in continuous improvement of the safety systems. Design changes in vehicles like the
crumple zones and the location of engine block have been the results of evolution of crash
testing. Therefore in future, crash testing could suggest many more design changes, which
could further minimize the probability of injury during a crash. These observations stress
that any car make would not be complete without crash testing. Thus crash testing can be
a major factor that will make driving a more secure and reliable experience.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE
Page 27 of 27CRASH TESTING OF CARS
Paper on Offset crash tests – Observations about vehicle design and structural
performance- by Michael Paine; Vehicle Design and Research Pty Limited;
Donald McGrane Crash lab, NSW Roads and Traffic Authority; Jack Haley
NRMA Limited.
http://www.tata.com/tata_motors/articles/index.htm
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/
www.howstuffworks.com
www.aj.com
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=586
http://www.driveandstayalive.com/info%20section/crash%20testing/aaa-
index_crash-testing-index-and-intro.htm
http://www.cars.com/honda/cr-v/2013/safety-ratings/
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RRCE