MDB-to-Car Side Impact Test of a 19 Degree Crabbed Moving Deformable Barrier to a 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit at 34.3 MPH [1993-09]

Stultz, J. · 1993 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report documents a crash test conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to evaluate the performance of modified 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit vehicles in side-impact collisions. The study was part of a series of twelve tests designed to assess vehicle safety under conditions not covered by existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The specific test aimed to simulate an intersection collision where a striking vehicle traveling at 26 mph impacts a stationary vehicle traveling at 13 mph, with a 60-degree orientation angle. The experimental design involved impacting a stationary, structurally modified "Heavy Weight" 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit 2-door hatchback on its left side. The impact was executed using a Moving Deformable Barrier (MDB) towed at 34.3 mph, with its wheels crabbed 19 degrees clockwise to replicate the kinematics of the intended collision. The impact point was located 37 inches forward of the vehicle’s center of gravity. The test vehicle was equipped with three inches of padding on the driver door and left rear occupant wall. Two unrestrained Side Impact Dummies (SID) were positioned in the driver’s designated seating position and the left rear seating position. The test was conducted on August 30, 1983, at the TRCO Crash Test Facility in East Liberty, Ohio, with an ambient temperature of 92°F. Instrumentation included accelerometers on the vehicle and barrier, as well as kinematic tracking via high-speed cameras. The results indicated significant intrusion and occupant movement. The driver dummy’s torso contacted the padded door, and its head contacted the driver’s side window and header. Following impact, the driver dummy rebounded from the door, with its buttocks passing through the passenger-side window, eventually coming to rest upright across the front seats facing the driver’s side. The rear passenger dummy’s torso contacted the padded rear wall, and its head struck the side window and header. This dummy rebounded to strike the right rear wall, with its left shoulder passing partially through the right rear window, finally resting across the rear bench seat. Vehicle damage included a cracked windshield, shattered driver window, separated left rear window, and upward deformation of the door sill. Acceleration data recorded peak lateral accelerations of approximately 160 g on the left front door centerline and significant delta-V values for both dummies, indicating substantial energy transfer. The significance of this report lies in its contribution to the NHTSA’s database of crash test data, providing empirical evidence on occupant kinematics and vehicle structural response in side-impact scenarios involving older vehicle models. The findings highlight the severity of lateral intrusion and occupant displacement in vehicles lacking modern side-impact protection, informing future safety standards and vehicle design improvements. The detailed documentation of dummy positioning, barrier dynamics, and post-crash conditions serves as a reference for evaluating the effectiveness of structural modifications and padding in mitigating injury risks.

Key finding

The driver dummy experienced a peak head acceleration of 161.88 g and a HIC of 11.15, while the rear passenger dummy recorded a peak head acceleration of 91.87 g and a HIC of 165.62 during the 34.3 mph side impact.

Methodology

simulator

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

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