TRC
Inc.’s Impact Laboratory recently built a crash test fixture used to conduct The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Small Overlap Frontal
Crashworthiness Evaluation. The fabrication of the fixture was completed in August.
The IIHS is
an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to
reducing the losses (deaths, injuries and property damage) from crashes on the
nation's roads. On August 14, 2012, IIHS
released the details of this more demanding frontal offset test. The Small
Overlap Frontal Crashworthiness Evaluation, used in addition to the 40%
offset test introduced in 1995, subjects only 25% of the front end of the
vehicle to a 40 mph impact. The test
is designed to duplicate what happens when the front corner of a car
collides with another vehicle or strikes a slim object, such as a utility pole
or tree.
The rating
system is similar to the 40% offset, but has some key differences: hip/thigh
and lower leg/foot ratings replace individual ratings for each leg and foot,
and a full score cannot be attained without deployment of side and side curtain
airbags (due to severe side movement often resulting from this test).
Visit our website to learn more about
TRC Inc.’s Impact Laboratory and capabilities.
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