Virtual testing for Extended Vehicle Passive Safety (VITES)

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) partly funded TRL�s involvement in Workpackage 3 (WP3) of a European Commission 5th Framework project entitled Virtual Testing for Extended Vehicle Passive Safety (VITES). The main objectives of VITES were to develop procedures and guidelines for virtual testing (VT) in order to enhance vehicle passive safety and reduce injury numbers for a wider range of automotive impact conditions. The principle aims of WP3 were to identify 'gaps' in current regulations where VT could be used to enhance regulatory testing and to propose a VT procedure based on the identified 'gaps'. Within WP3, UK accident data was analysed and the following three potential 'gaps' in regulations were identified: 1 a dip in the injury risk to drivers in the speed range 70-74 km.h-1; 2 an increased injury risk to female passengers in frontal impacts; and 3 an increased injury risk to drivers in non-struck side impacts. Model simulations were completed investigating the influence that accident features such as, speed, impact direction, occupant size and type (ie. dummy or human body model) have on injury risk. It was found that the size and type of the occupant model has a significant influence on the predicted body response of the occupant model, which considerably influences the predicted injury risk. A virtual test procedure was proposed that adopts simulated EuroNCAP side impact model predictions as a platform on which additional VT can be completed to enhance vehicle passive safety under a wider range of impact conditions. (A)