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原文传递 Improving the Compatibility of Vehicles and Roadside Safety Hardware. Final rept.

题名：	Improving the Compatibility of Vehicles and Roadside Safety Hardware. Final rept.
作者：	eskandarian, a. bahouth, g. digges, k. godrick, d. bronstad, m.
关键词：	Roadside-hazards; Traffic-safety; *Motor-vehicles.;Guardrails-; Median-barriers; Breakaway-structures; Sign-supports; Compatibility-; Manufacturing-; Highway-safety; Barriers-; Accident-research.
摘要：	The objectives of this study, 'Improving the Compatibility of Vehicles and Roadside Safety Hardware', are to (1) Identify current and future vehicle characteristics that are potentially incompatible with existing roadside safety hardware, (2) assess opportunities for and barriers to improved compatibility, and (3) increase the vehicle and hardware manufacturer's awareness of compatibility problems. Since the early 1990's, the United States vehicle fleet has shown drastic changes in its characteristics. Overall, vehicle size and mass have increased while a large population of drivers have shifted from passenger cars to Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks. The magnitude and implication of these changes as they affect roadside hardware crash outcomes was one area of concentration during this research. Based on early studies, the 820 kg small car and the 2000 kg pickup truck were considered to be representative of the worst cases or extremes of the passenger vehicle population during impacts with roadside devices. Based on vehicle population profiles, this assumption was valid during the early 1980's. However, a steady increase in vehicle size for the compact and small car categories as well as the emergence of SUVs has lead to a significantly different vehicle fleet today. Pickup trucks were found to inadequately represent the crash behavior of SUVs. Also, analysis of fatal crashes involving longitudinal barriers (guardrails and concrete median barriers) indicated that midsize SUVs have nearly 8.6 fatal crashes per million vehicles per year registered during barrier impacts; compared to 4.6 for full size pickup trucks. In addition, it was found that rollover involvement is 10-14%higher for compact and midsize SUVs verses compact and full size pickup trucks. An evaluation of the dynamic characteristics of pickup trucks and SUVs indicated significant differences in the center of gravity location (CG) and vehicle weight distribution. Further, SUVs were found to have a 10%higher rollover risk than pickups of similar wheelbase and track width
报告类型：	科技报告