Automobile Collisions on Purpose

Abstract

This paper presents a brief discussion of some of the findings from forty-eight full-scale automobile collision experiments conducted at UCLA during the past ten years. These experiments have provided critically needed data on physical factors relating to vehicular collision dynamics and attending motorist injuries. Use of both human subjects and anthropometric dummies facilitate procurement of critically needed data on the relation of design to injury causation.

Specific data derived from these experiments include deceleration patterns for different locations on the motorist and car structure, the relation of impact speed to car deformation and repair costs, the performance of motorist restraining devices and the interaction of human and dummy motorists with their cars' interior and external environment during collisions.