Test Program to Define Oblique Chest Loading in Side Impact

Near side impact crashes – especially pole impacts – have the potential to induce antero-lateral oblique loads to the chest. Current side impact dummies and most laboratory experimental studies have been designed to assess direct lateral impacts. A recent analysis of real world crashes indicated that the human chest experiences oblique loading in side impact crashes – in particular crashes into narrow objects. This paper describes the development of a new sled test program to determine the oblique impact response of the human and to evaluate dummy biofidelity in an oblique mode of loading. The program involves the use of chestbands on dummies in full-scale vehicle tests accompanied by sled tests with unembalmed post mortem human subjects (PMHS). Sled tests are run under varying load wall conditions with a buck configured specially to mimic dummy loading seen in the vehicle tests. The chestbands provide comparative measures of thoracic deformation. Ultimately, the chestband measures will help establish the instrumentation requirements of an ATD for use in a side impact test with a significant oblique component. Additionally, this work could help introduce more biofidelic injury metrics for side impact ATDs.