Page 560 - Automotive Engineering Powertrain Chassis System and Vehicle Body

Vehicle safety C HAPTER 17.1

Fig. 17.1-2 For conventional frontal impact tests, the impacted face of the concrete block can be protected with steel plate to reduce
the rate of erosion.

The previously mentioned European test introduced To rectify this and other shortcomings, Directive 96/
in 1974 entailed propelling the vehicle on to a rigid 79/EEC was approved in 1996. This test is designed to
concrete barrier, Fig. 17.1-2, and measuring the steering assess the effects of the much more common type of
wheel deflection. But, in a real crash on the road, even crash, in which one vehicle hits another while overtaking
a brick wall at least deflects, or even disintegrates, when a third. Consequently only 40% of the front end (be-
struck. For this reason and since vehicles rarely, if indeed tween one side and a vertical line 10% from the centre)
ever, collide head-on into rigid concrete barriers, this test must impact on the block. Moreover, an aluminium
is useful only as a very rough guide to the survivability of honeycomb block, Fig. 17.1-3, is fixed to the face of the
its occupants in a severe accident. concrete barrier against which the car is propelled.

Fig. 17.1-3 Here a dummy front end of a car represented by an aluminium honeycomb structure is fixed to the concrete block to simulate
the crushing of the other car involved in the front end impact.

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