Final Report of 339 Contoured Moving Barrier Impact Into a 1985 Ford Escort 3-Door Hatchback in Support of Crash III Damage Algorithm Reformation

Markusic, C. A. · 1990 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report documents four sequential crash tests conducted to support the reformulation of the CRASH III damage algorithm, a method used to estimate vehicle speeds from crash damage. The study, performed by the Transportation Research Center of Ohio for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, utilized a 1985 Ford Escort 3-door hatchback. The vehicle, weighing 2,715 pounds with added ballast, was subjected to impacts from a 339-degree contoured moving barrier. The barrier, measuring 67.0 inches wide and 31.5 inches high, struck the vehicle’s left front corner parallel to the bumper centerline. The vehicle and barrier were instrumented with accelerometers to measure longitudinal, lateral, and resultant acceleration, while high-speed cameras recorded the events. The experimental design involved four distinct impacts on the same vehicle, conducted on August 30, 1990, with increasing barrier velocities. Test 900830-1 occurred at 14.2 mph, resulting in 6.7 inches of maximum cumulative crush and 15.0 inches of direct contact damage. Test 900830-2 was conducted at 28.1 mph, causing 17.9 inches of maximum crush and 33.0 inches of damage length. Test 900830-3 occurred at 28.3 mph; however, precise crush measurements were unavailable because the front bumper molding was torn off during this impact, preventing accurate pre-test coordinate comparison. Test 900830-4 was performed at 39.8 mph, resulting in 43.0 inches of direct contact damage, though specific maximum crush values were also not available due to the prior loss of measurement points. The results provide detailed kinematic and structural data for each impact. Acceleration data showed increasing forces with higher impact speeds; for instance, the vehicle’s center of gravity experienced a resultant acceleration of 38.5 g in the first test, rising to 49.2 g in the fourth test. The report includes comprehensive tables of vehicle attitudes, crush profiles at specific measurement points, and accelerometer readings for both the vehicle and the moving barrier. The study highlights the progressive structural failure of the vehicle, noting that the integrity of the bumper molding was compromised after the third impact, which limited the availability of precise crush data for the final two tests. These findings serve as empirical data to refine the accuracy of the CRASH III algorithm in estimating vehicle speeds from damage patterns.

Key finding

Four impact tests at speeds between 14.2 and 39.8 mph produced maximum cumulative crush depths of 6.7, 17.9, and 39.8 inches on a 1985 Ford Escort.

Methodology

simulator

Sample size: 1

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• evacuation egress