SLIDE 1: Evaluation of Injury Risk from Side Impact Airbags Evaluation of Injury Risk from Side Impact Airbags Aloke Kumar Prasad, NHTSA Randa Radwan Samaha, NHTSA Allison E. Louden, TRC, Inc. SLIDE 2: Several types of side impact air bag (SAB) systems – Thorax – Head and thorax – Head Different designs – Seat mounted – Door mounted – Window curtain – Inflatable SLIDE 3: Background Fall 1998 – NHTSA study at Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) – Paper 99SC03, 43rd Stapp Conf. 1999 1998 – Transport Canada study – Paper 2000-01-ST-02, 44th StappConf., 2000 April 1999 – NHTSA Public Meeting May 1999 – Letter from Dr. Martinez to Alliance, AIAM Summer 1999 – Research initiated at VRTC/NHTSA Aug 2000 – Technical Working Group (TWG – Alliance, AIAM, AORC, IIHS) recommendations – ISO WG3 June 2001 – Evaluation of Injury Risk from Side Impact Air Bags -Prasad, A. K., Samaha, R. R., and Louden, A. E., 17th ESV Conf., Paper No. 331. SLIDE 4: TEST CONDITIONS VEHICLE SELECTION SEAT MOUNTED - THORAX 99 Geo Prizm 99 VW Jetta 00 Audi A6 (F+R) 99 Volvo S80 00 Cadillac Deville (R) - HEAD/THORAX 99 Ford Windstar 99 Mercury Cougar 00 Nissan Maxima 00 Saab 95 DOOR MOUNTED 99 Cadillac Deville 00 Mercedes S430 (F+R) 00 BMW 528i (F+R) ROOF MOUNTED 99 Volvo S80 00 Mercedes S430 00 BMW 528i 00 Audi A6 01 Saturn L200 SLIDE 5: TEST CONDITIONS / TEST POSITIONS - TWG recommended positions – Baseline - Study high speed videos of “blank deployments” - Develop additional test positions, variations of TWG positions, MCW positions - Goal – most severe loads for dummies of various sizes SLIDE 6: TEST CONDITIONS / DUMMIES USED - Hybrid III 3 year old - Hybrid III 6 year old - SID-IIs - 12 month CRABI** - 95% Adult Male** - All were instrumented according to TWGrecommendations **Not included in TWG procedures SLIDE 7: TEST CONDITIONS / INJURY CRITERIA - Interim values used – TWG recommendations - Evaluation of injury criteria and IARV -pending - 3 YO chest deflection, 6 YO HIC -FMVSS 208 * 3YO Chest: 34g (FMVSS 208) 36g (TWG) * 6YO HIC: 700 (FMVSS 208) 723 (TWG) SLIDE 8: Status of Research - 3 YO, 6YO, 12 month CRABI seat and door mounted SAB – completed - Roof mounted bags including SID IIs & 95th% Adult Male – completed - Seat and Door Mounted bags with SID IIs – ongoing SLIDE 9: Selecting Dummy Positions - Use “blank deployments” to see the deployment envelope of selected airbags - Use TWG recommended positions - Make modifications to get “worst case” for the vehicles, if needed - With 20 different airbag setups, 3 YO, 6YO, CRABI, SID-IIs get ~300 test combinations plus repeatability SLIDE 10: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Seat Mounted Bags * TWG 3.3.2.1 – NHTSA Seat-02-3 – NHTSA Seat-03-3 – NHTSA Seat-07-3 – NHTSA Seat-08-3 – NHTSA Seat-09-3 – NHTSA Seat-10-3 * Gets head closer to the airbag * Places head at different locations along the seatback SLIDE 11: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Seat Mounted Bags * TWG 3.3.2.2 – NHTSA Seat-01-3: Allows dummy closer to the seat edge * TWG 3.3.2.2 – NHTSA Seat-04-3: Gets head closer to the seatback SLIDE 12: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Seat Mounted Bags Booster Seats not addressed by TWG – NHTSA Seat-05-3 – NHTSA Seat-06-3: Restrained dummy SLIDE 13: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Door Mounted Bags * TWG 3.3.3.1 – NHTSA Door-01-3 – NHTSA Door-02-3 Allows the chest to be closer to the airbag * TWG 3.3.3.2 – NHTSA Door-03-3 Places neck at higher location on the airbag SLIDE 14: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Door Mounted Bags NHTSA Modifications * Leaning Sideways for Door Mounted Bags Not addressed by TWG – NHTSA Door-04-3 – NHTSA Door-05-3 – NHTSA Door-06-3 SLIDE 15: NHTSA Modifications (3YO)Door Mounted Bags * Booster Seats Not addressed by TWG - NHTSA Door-07-3 – NHTSA Door-08-3 * Restrained dummy SLIDE 16: NHTSA Modifications (6YO)Seat Mounted Bags * TWG 3.3.2.5 – NHTSA Seat-01-6 – NHTSA Seat-02-6 – NHTSA Seat-03-6 – NHTSA Seat-04-6 – NHTSA Seat-05-6 * Gets head closer to the airbag * Places head at different locations on the seatback SLIDE 17: NHTSA Modifications (6YO)Door Mounted Bags * TWG has no positions for 6 YO for doormounted systems * Back at Door – NHTSA Door-01-6: Places neck against the airbag * Leaning Sideways for Door Mounted - NHTSA Door-02-6 – NHTSA Door-03-6 – NHTSA Door-04-6 – NHTSA Door-05-6 SLIDE 18: NHTSA Modifications (6YO)Roof Mounted Bags * TWG 3.3.4.1 – NHTSA Head-01-6: Places head next to opening of the airbag SLIDE 19: Dummy Seating for12 month CRABI * Infants not addressed by TWG * Seat & Door Mounted Side Airbag – NHTSA Seat-01-12 – FWD Facing CRS with Flip over tray – NHTSA Seat-02-12 – Rear Facing CRS * CRABI dummies properly restrained SLIDE 20: Dummy Seating for 95th% Adult Male * TWG did not address large occupants * Roof Mounted Airbags – NHTSA Head-01-95 – Leaning sidewayswith center of head at airbag opening SLIDE 21: Observations * 3 & 6 YO -high loads possible in most SABsystems, especially from door mounted bags andseat mounted head-thorax combination bags. NIJ: 0.90 +FZ(Tension): 1.56 15ms HIC: 1.33 NIJ: 1.70 -FZ(Comp.): 1.40 SLIDE 22: Observations (Cont.) * The TWG 3.3.2.2 (peek-a-boo) -good procedure for measuring injuries to the chest of - 3 YO. Chest Def.: 1.25 Def. Rate: 1.93 - Chest Def.: 1.15 Def. Rate: 2.21 SLIDEs 2324: Observations (Cont.)Observations (Cont.) * TWG 3.3.2.1 (leaning sideways on a booster) -good for measuring the loads on the head-neck region of the 3 YO. In certain vehicles, the TWG position results in the head being away from the seat back. 99 Saab 95 99 Ford Windstar 99 Mercury Cougar * Seat mounted air bags are located at different heights along the seat back. Additional positions place the head of the 3 year old at a range of locations along the seat back - helps in finding a test condition which produces more severe loads. SLIDE 25: * Suggest adding procedures that places the head CG closer to the airbag. - NHTSA Seat-02-3 - NHTSA Seat-07-3 SLIDE 26: Observations (Cont.) * A “leaning sideways” type position is not included in TWGprocedures for door mounted systems for 3 and 6 year old occupants * Suggest adding leaning sideways positions for the Hybrid III3YO for Door Mounted Systems - NHTSA Door-04-3 - NHTSA Door-06-3 SLIDE 27: Observations (Cont.) * Suggest adding leaning sideways positions for the Hybrid III 6YO for Door Mounted Systems - NHTSA Seat-04-6 - NHTSA Seat-05-6 SLIDE 28: Observations (Cont.) * Suggest adding back against door position for the Hybrid III 6 year old for Door Mounted Systems - NHTSA Door-01-6 SLIDE 29: Observations (Cont.) * SID-IIs dummy durability issues – Broke the shoulder potentiometer and bent the shoulder rib in aTWG procedure – door mounted (TWG 3.3.3.5) – High Injury in the rib deflection Max Rib Def.: 1.27 Def. Rate: 1.35 SLIDE 30: Observations (Cont.) For TWG and NHTSA procedures: Seat mounted bags – 3 YO 4/10 exceeded Injury Reference Values 8/10 exceeded Injury Reference and Research Values – 6 YO 2/10 exceeded Injury Reference Values 5/10 exceeded Injury Reference and Research Values Door mounted bags – 3 YO 5/5 exceeded Injury Reference Values 5/5 exceeded Injury Reference and Research Values – 6 YO 0/5 exceeded Injury Reference Values 1/5 exceeded Injury Reference and Research Values SLIDE 31: Conclusions * One vehicle did not exceed Injury Reference or ResearchValues in any test * Six vehicles (out of 13) did not exceed Injury ReferenceValues in any test * Tests with in-position, properly restrained occupants inforward and rear facing child restraints did not produce highloads * Tests with Roof Mounted bags did not produce significantloads * Considerable efforts were spent in locating the correctreplacement parts for the side air bag systems (module,mounting hardware, etc.) SLIDE 32: Conclusions (Cont.) * TWG procedures are generally capable of discriminating air bag systems over a wide variety of systems. * Certain TWG positions may not be attainable in some vehicles. * Certain TWG positions not expected to produce any significant loads on the dummies * Several vehicles exceeded IARV’s with the NHTSA procedures but did not with the TWG procedures