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VSI is well equipped to conduct research and testing related to our core expertise of injury biomechanics and vehicle accident reconstruction. Experiments may be performed for case-specific investigations or in support of internal and external research activities. VSI staff has experience in not only physical testing but mathematical and statistical methods used for simulation of impact-related events, development of injury risk assessment, and the development of anatomical surrogates for impact-related research. Results from testing and research are provided through confidential technical reports as well as peer-reviewed technical conference proceedings and journal publications. Examples of various areas of research and testing activities regularly undertaken by VSI staff include:
Impact Biomechanics
 Field accident data analysis
Head and neck injury mechanisms
Development of injury assessment technology
Impact biomechanics and injury risk assessment
Development and validation of physical and mathematical models
Accident Reconstruction
Assessment of vehicle dynamics and handling
Assessment of vehicle impact dynamics and crashworthiness
Accident reconstruction methodology development
Validation of simulation tools for vehicle rollover dynamics
3D documentation of physical evidence (scene, vehicle, etc)
Below are outlines of three specific current projects ongoing at VSI:
Children in Rollover Collisions
Numerous studies have investigated injury biomechanics, safety system performance and vehicle crashworthiness for the adult population in rollover collisions while relatively little research has been conducted on the pediatric population. VSI researchers are studying pediatric injury patterns, sources and child restraint performance in rollover collisions through the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). Results from this study will be compared and contrasted to prior studies of the adult population. Insight will be gained to guide further study into child injury assessment technology, child safety seat design and other countermeasures for pediatric rollover protection.
Door Latch Performance in Rollover Collisions
Ejection mitigation is a key issue in occupant protection research. As recent as the 1980’s the door was the primary occupant ejection portal. Improvements in door latch standards for planar crashes significantly reduced the frequency of ejection through an open door. Recent research however has questioned whether current door latch standards are sufficient with respect to occupant protection in rollover collisions. The goal of this research is to study the frequency of door latch release in rollover collisions through the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). In addition, crash and vehicle variables such as roll severity and roof deformation will be investigated for correlation to door latch release. Results from this study will contribute to the national discussion regarding the door latch test standard as well as vehicle rollover standards.
Occupant Injury Risk and Door Latch Performance in a Rollover Collisions
This study builds on the previous investigation into door latch integrity during rollover collisions. The goal of this research is to evaluate injury risk to occupants who are seated adjacent to a door which has lost integrity of the latch. Injury frequency will be compared and contrasted to occupants seated adjacent to doors that did not lose door latch integrity during the rollover. Results from this study will provide insight into the role of the door in protection of belted and unbelted occupants. These data will contribute to the development of advanced rollover occupant protection standards and door latch standards. This study will also advance the state-of-knowledge of seat belt performance in rollover collisions, in absence of a vehicle side door.
Crashworthiness of Roadside Sign Posts
Transportation safety is not limited to vehicle-to-vehicle crashes. Vehicle collisions with roadside objects, such as sign posts, also pose a significant engineering challenge for designing crashworthy structures that minimize occupant risk. Strategies to minimize forces during vehicle-sign collisions include the design of advanced sign-post supports through both experimental testing and finite element (FE) simulations. While a limited set of FE sign-post models are publicly available, there currently is no FE model available for studying the crashworthiness of a four-bolt pattern, slip-base sign support, as installed throughout the state of Florida. The goal of this research is to develop and validate an FE model of a four-bolt pattern, slip-base sign support for crashworthiness investigation. Using LS-Dyna, this unique sign-post model will be developed and validated to physical test data, under conditions outlined in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NHCRP) Report 350. In addition, a real-world crash will be simulated using this model to present the performance of a four-bolt pattern, slip base sign support under real world conditions.
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