Car Safety: Vehicle Testing

<div style="text-align: justify;">
"The driver's abdomen was severely crushed due to 6.5 inches of forward seat shift and 8.2 inches of rearward steering column displacement. The efforts of 5 technicians using tools were required to extricate the dummy from the vehicle. The lower steering wheel rim was less than 2 inches from the driver seatback. Although the driver's chest received only moderate impact acceleration, the abdominal crush clearly indicates that this was not a survivable crash for the driver."</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKibJh-0PwzKYstvMVEry3CiwSdF9-RoH-g6CJig58GzYWRRqN88UI4lbITJh1BSi8vVhJ9A0aNo8sTQQPBr0Vc7P8F9nIUxRIGyZAkjz_daruudPKtqxNGmNiUKv57qUjgRIKh-WnWUb/s1600/steering+wheel+crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizKibJh-0PwzKYstvMVEry3CiwSdF9-RoH-g6CJig58GzYWRRqN88UI4lbITJh1BSi8vVhJ9A0aNo8sTQQPBr0Vc7P8F9nIUxRIGyZAkjz_daruudPKtqxNGmNiUKv57qUjgRIKh-WnWUb/s400/steering+wheel+crush.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today's electric cars may be as safe as gas powered cars, but today's car structures are far stronger in impact than those of 1980. Electric vehicles are also now purpose-built, rather than being hasty conversions of existing gas powered vehicles.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Car-by-car results. All tests were at just 30 mph into a wall; a very easy test by today's standards.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1980 Comuta Car - Tested September 24, 1981</div>
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1668 HIC, 52 Chest G's. Passenger 1204 HIC, 48 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No report was available for this vehicle, so the specifics of the crash are unknown. What is known is that the driver suffered severe, potentially fatal injury, and the passenger suffered serious to severe injury.</div>
<br />
1981 EVA Evcort - Tested December 18, 1981<br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 652 HIC, 57 Chest G's. Passenger 600 HIC, 31 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Injury measures look good: minor to moderate injury to the driver, minor injury to the passenger. We don't know specifics of the crash: no report was produced for this test. But injury measures may not be everything. The results of this test can be considered inconclusive with the information I currently have.</div>
<br />
1979 UM Electrek - Tested September 15, 1979<br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1024 HIC. Passenger 889 HIC. Chest G's not available.<br />
<br />
Head injury measures show a likelihood of serious injury to the driver and moderate injury to the passenger. No other information is available as of August 21, 2012.<br />
<br />
1980 JET Electrica 007 - Tested November 14, 1980 - Based on Plymouth Horizon.<br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 324 HIC, 37 Chest G's. Passenger 514 HIC, 34 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=275&mediatype=r&r_tstno=275">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=275&mediatype=r&r_tstno=275</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A report is available in this test! Injury measures look very good indeed with minor injury at most, no injury to the driver. But this is the vehicle in which this statement was used: "The driver's abdomen was severely crushed due to 6.5 inches of forward seat shift and 8.2 inches of rearward steering column displacement. The efforts of 5 technicians using tools were required to extricate the dummy from the vehicle. The lower steering wheel rim was less than 2 inches from the driver seatback. Although the driver's chest received only moderate impact acceleration, the abdominal crush clearly indicates that this was not a survivable crash for the driver."<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The driver would have been killed by steering wheel intrusion and seat shift. As for the passenger, the legs were shoved into the glove compartment, as the seat shifted 5.5 inches and the dashboard was moved 4 inches back. Both doors were jammed and had to be opened via cutting torch. The passenger would survive, but would require extrication.</div>
<br />
1980 JET Electra Van 750 Pickup Truck - Tested January 8, 1981 - Based on Ford Courier<br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1373 HIC, 67 Chest G's. Passenger 311 HIC, 30 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=279&mediatype=r&r_tstno=279">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=279&mediatype=r&r_tstno=279</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The structure of this truck was bent into a "V" shape by the impact, with the crease of the V being where the truck bed had crushed the rear of the occupant compartment. Tools were required to open both doors. Extensive damage was done to the occupant area and bed. The driver would likely suffer serious to critical injury, while the passenger would be unhurt.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1980 EVA Ford Fairmont wagon - Tested January 8, 1981 - Based on... you guessed it, Ford Fairmont</div>
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1054 HIC, 33 Chest G's. Passenger 305 HIC, 21 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=280&mediatype=r&r_tstno=280">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=280&mediatype=r&r_tstno=280</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jammed front doors and hard-to-open rear doors. Not a good way to start a 30.57 mph crash. The damage to this one has to be seen to be believed - the whole car is bent out of shape and deformed. The dashboard effectively broke apart on impact, and the driver dummy was pinned to the seat by the legs by the steering wheel, in addition to being seriously injured on impact. Double ouch. Passenger? Unhurt; a piece of the dislodged dashboard acted as an "airbag" and crushed a bit.</div>
<br />
1979 Lectric Leopard - Tested January 28, 1981 - Based on Renault Le Car<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=296&mediatype=r&r_tstno=296">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=296&mediatype=r&r_tstno=296</a><br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1272 HIC, 84 Chest G's. Passenger 2302 HIC, 39 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Driver door was easily opened, but passenger door jammed. Weird. The structure held up relatively well, but the batteries that power the vehicle broke free, hurtling through the occupant compartment. The driver experienced the 84 chest G's when the seatback was hit by the batteries, transmitting potentially fatal forces through the chest. The driver's injury would likely be severe to fatal. The passenger suffered fatal head injury from striking the dashboard, then was hit again by the batteries. The worst performer of them all.</div>
<br />
1981 UM Electrek - Tested January 30, 1981<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=297&mediatype=r&r_tstno=297">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=297&mediatype=r&r_tstno=297</a><br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 448 HIC, 34 Chest G's. Passenger 273 HIC, 30 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This proprietary design had a significant problem: the dummies "submarined" under the seatbelts, causing abdominal and chest compression. The knees of each dummy were driven into the lower dashboard. Despite this problem-riddled performance, the structure was solid, and doors were easily opened. The injury measures were low, although there is concern about abdominal injury. The best of a bad lot.</div>
<br />
1981 JET Electrica - Tested October 21, 1981 - Based on Mercury Lynx<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=374&mediatype=r&r_tstno=374">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=374&mediatype=r&r_tstno=374</a><br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 1238 HIC, 32 Chest G's. Passenger 270 HIC, 31 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">This vehicle caught fire on impact, in the left rear cargo area. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, it is still a severe problem. </i>Both doors were jammed, complicating escape from the burning car. (Fortunately, it's only dummies in these tests). The doors were buckled, and the occupant compartment was compromised. The driver dummy suffered a sharp impact to the face, which would result in serious injury. The passenger came out unhurt.</div>
<br />
1981 JET Electrica 007 - Tested October 23, 1981 - Based on Plymouth Horizon<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=375&mediatype=r&r_tstno=375">http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/database/aspx/searchmedia2.aspx?database=v&tstno=375&mediatype=r&r_tstno=375</a><br />
<br />
Injury measures: Driver 966 HIC, 43 Chest G's. Passenger 670 HIC, 41 Chest G's.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Same story as 1980 model, but the wheel ended up very close to the dummy's chest and did not crush it; however, the dummy was still trapped. The seat didn't shift, but the steering wheel moved rearward over 12 inches. Both dummies suffered higher forces that would lead to moderate injury.</div>
<br />
<br />

NHTSA Electric Vehicle Testing, 1979-1981

"The driver's abdomen was severely crushed due to 6.5 inches of forward seat shift and 8.2 inches of rearward steering column disp...