SLIDE 1:
SIDE AIR BAGS
January 2002


SLIDE 2:
screen shot of NHTSA main web page
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

SLIDE 3:
screen shot of NHTSA Research and Development home web page
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/

SLIDE 4:
screen shot of NHTSA R&D 
Society of Automotive Engineers Presentations
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-01/presentations/presentations.html


SLIDE 5:
web screen shot: NHTSA R&D Side Airbag Out-of-Position tehcnical working group public meeting
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-01/presentations/IIHS_TWGmtg.html


SLIDE 6:
Outline

* Background
	- Definition, Types, and Trends

* NHTSA Evaluation Plan
	- 13 Vehicles 
	- Variations of TWG Procedures 
	- Real World Effectiveness 
	- Real World Risk 

* Status of Research


SLIDE 7:
Background

All side air bags not the same....

* Thorax Bags 
	- Seat Mounted 
	- Door Mounted 


* Combination Bags for Head/Chest 
	- Seat Mounted 

* Head Bags 
	- Roof Rail Mounted


SLIDE 8:
 * Volvo S80 seat mounted (thorax)
 * Audi A6 seat mounted (thorax) 
 * Saab 9-5 seat mounted (head & thorax)
 * Cougar seat mounted (head & thorax) 


SLIDE 9:
 * BMW Roof rail mounted (head)
 * Mercedes roof rail mounted (head)
 * Mercedes door mounted (thorax)


SLIDE 10:
NHTSA’s R&D Approach

* Monitor Real World Risks Through SCI 


* Conduct Static Tests to Evaluate Risks

* Conduct Dynamic Tests to Assess Benefits and Risks

* Enhanced Biofidelic Dummies


SLIDE 11:
Why Side Air Bags?
Not required in FMVSS 214…

* Safer Vehicles

* Offer Better Protection in Aggressive Vehicle and Narrow Object Crashes

* Better Side Impact NCAP Scores

* Rollover Protection (Ejection Mitigation)


SLIDE 12:
Address Increased Risk of Head Injuries From Crashes Involving LTVs and Narrow Object

[film still from crash test - thru-windshield shot - caption: HIC=9,000, 2000 Saturn L200 no curtain]


SLIDE 13:
Address Increased Risk of Head Injuries
From Crashes Involving LTVs and Narrow Object

[film still from crash test - thru-windshield shot - caption: HIC=435, 2000 Saturn L200 with curtain]


SLIDE 14:
Address Increased Risk of Head Injuries
From Crashes Involving LTVs and Narrow Object
[bar chart]

FMVSS 201P side pole tests
Normalized HIC vs: 
 - Saturn
 - Saturn (curtain)
 - Maxima
 - Maxima (combo)


SLIDE 15:
Fleet Penetration of SABs
[bar chart]
Front Seat Air Bags
sales (in millions) vs.
year
 - 1996: negligible
 - 1997: < 0. 5mil
 - 1998: 1 mil
 - 1999: < 1.5 mil (cars)
	 negligible (LTVs)
 - 2000: 2.5 mil (cars)
	 >1 mil (LTVs)
 - 2001: >3 mil (36% annual car sales)
	 >1 mil (15% annual LTV sales)


SLIDE 16:
Special Crash Investigation
Case Selection Criteria 

* High injury outcome with deployment of a side air bag 

* Allegations of a fatal or seriously injured occupant attributed to the deployment of a side air bag 

* Deployment of a side air bag into a position occupied by a child. 

* Deployment of a head occupant protection system into an occupied position.


SLIDE 17:
SCI NHTSA Notifications

* Special Crash Investigations (SCI) Program
	- 3 teams, Headquarters

* Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)  		- 50 States, Guam & Puerto Rico


* National Automotive Sampling System (NASS)
	- 62 Sites, 24 CDS, 36 GES & 2 ZCs 

* Crash Injury Research and Engr. Network (CIREN). 
	-  8 Trauma Centers

* Office of State and Community Services
	-  10 Regional Offices

* Office of Traffic Safety Programs
	- Extensive Law Enforcement Network

* Office of Defects Investigations
	- Consumer Notifications Through the Auto Safety Hotline

* Office of Public & Consumer Affairs
	- Media


SLIDE 18:
55 Side Air Bag Cases
(10/1/01) 

* Side Impact Conditions - 43 
	- Drivers 31
	- Passenger 12

* Other conditions where Side airbag Deployed - 7 

* Rollover -5


SLIDE 19:
Real World Experience 

* 55 special crash investigations with SABs 

* Several anecdotal cases of side air bags saving lives and preventing injuries



SLIDE 20:
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
* No fatalities attributed to side bag deployment

* One seriously injured 76 y/o male (AIS 3 rib fractures due to cover flap, Deville no longer in production with door mounted SAB)

* The two cases with kids: the SAB provided protection (AIS 1 injuries)

* The head side air bag has been successful in reducing head injury

* Passenger compartment intrusion is the primary contributor to the fatal injury mechanism
 

SLIDES 21-22:
Early Assessment of Side Air Bag Risks
[film stills of crash test dummy @ impact]


SLIDE 23:
NHTSA/Transport Canada/in TWG

NHTSA 
 * Participated as observer 

Transport Canada 
 * Participated as member 
 * Developed test procedures 
 * Conducted tests


SLIDE 24:
Industry’s Technical Working Group Approach 

 * Use ISO Developed Procedures as Starting Point

 * Modify ISO Procedures for Static 
Testing 

 * Use Available Frontal Child Dummies 

 * Use Injury Criteria Based on Expert 
Judgement


SLIDE 25:
TWG Activities

 * Identified Population at Risk 
 * Selected Available Test Dummies 
 * Established Dummy Injury Measures and 
Thresholds 
 * Set Associated Injury Risks for Children 5% for AIS 3 & 4
 * Drafted Test Procedures 
 * held public meetings


SLIDE 26:
TWG Injury Assessment

 * For 3 YO, 6 YO: Head, Neck, Chest 
 * For 5th %tile: Head, Neck, Chest, abdomen, pelvis, and arm 
 * Includes both injury criteria and injury research values
 * Limits based on industry biomechanical expertise
 * minimizes risks for children


SLIDE 27:
Child Injury Criteria

 * Head-HIC (15 Msec) 
 * Neck – Nij, Force and Moment Components 
  - Both upper and lower neck instrumentation
 * Chest – Acceleration and Deflection
 * Chest deflection rates calculated


SLIDES 28-29:
SAB OOP Test Positions – Examples for 3 and 6 year old HIII dummies
[uncaptioned photos - showing positioning]

SLIDE 30:
Test Conditions - Vehicle Selection
[table]

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
	- 99 Saab 95
DOOR MOUNTED
	- 99 Cadillac Deville
	- 00 Mercedes 430 (F+R)
	- 00BMW528i (F+R)
ROOF MOUNTED
	- 99 Volvo S80
	- 00 Mercedes 430 (F+R)
	- 00 BMW 528i
	- 00 Audi A6
	- 01 Saturn L200

(F+R) = front and rear seat air bags

SLIDE 31:
NHTSA Test Conditions & 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 32:
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 with head, neck (upper and lower) and chest instrumentation 


SLIDE 33:
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 34:
NHTSA Dummy Positions

* Use “blank deployments” to see the deployment 

* Use TWG recommended positions 

* Make modifications to get “worst case” for the vehicles, if needed 

* With 20 different airbag setups, 3 YO, 6YO, 
CRABI, SIDCRABI, SID--IIs get ~300 planned test combinations plus repeatability (200+ completed)


SLIDE 35:
NHTSA Positions and Dummies

* Gets Head / Neck Closer to the Airbag 

* Places Head / Neck at Different Locations Along the Seatback

* 12 – 18 Different Positions Were Added 

* Three Different Child Dummies and a 5th
Percentile Dummy Used in Testing


SLIDE 36:
Dummy Implications
The more Biofidelic Hybrid III 3YO neck can be used for: 
 - Child Restraint Evaluation in lateral impact 
 -  Side Airbags OOPs evaluation 

lateral internal moments and external forces than the standard Hybrid III 3yo


SLIDE 37:
SLED TEST KINEMATICS
[photo stills from film]

All frames at maximum head excursion.
 *  HIII Standard Head/Neck 
 * FTSS HIII-3CS Head/Neck 
 * Denton HIII-3CS Head/Neck 


SLIDE 38:
Comparison of TWG & NHTSAComparison of TWG & NHTSAOOP Test Position [photos]

* TWG -3 yr old leaning sideways on a foam booster block 

* NHTSA variation -gets head closer to seat back & places head at different location along the seatback (resulted in high upper neck twist)


SLIDE 39:
COMPARISON OF TWG & NHTSA OOP TEST POSITION
[photos - captioned]
 - TWG back against armrest
 - NHTSA variation - back against door, lower neck at top of airbag


SLIDE 40:
Rear Door Side Air Bags OOP Testing
[photos]
NHTSA variation 3yo – high HIC 
NHTSA variation 3yo – high Nij, bending


SLIDE 41:
Observations

* 3 & 6 YO - high loads possible in some SAB systems, especially from door mounted bags and seat mounted head-thorax combination bags.

* the TWG 3.3.2.2 (peek-a-boo) - good procedure for measuring injuries to the ches of 3 YO.

* 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.



SLIDE 42:
Observations (Cont.)
* 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 produce more severe loads.


SLIDE 43:
Observations (Cont.)
* The dummy responses were low in the tests conducted with a property restrained 12 month CRABI

SLIDE 44:
General Comments on TWG Procedures

* IIHS Did a Good Job in Developing Consensus 

* The TWG Procedures Are Quite Comprehensive and Are Successful at Discriminating Aggressive SABs 

* The TWG Addressed Dummy Sizes, Positions, and Expanded Traditional Injury Assessment

* Generic Worse Case Position Will Not Always 
Be Absolute Worst Case