title: The accuracy of WinSmash delta-V estimates: the influence of vehicle type, stiffness, and impact mode.
abstract: The objective of this paper is to investigate the accuracy of WinSmash delta-V estimates as a function of crash mode, vehicle body type, and vehicle stiffness. The accuracy of WinSmash delta-V estimates was evaluated for 121 NASS/CDS 2000-2003 cases for which direct measurements of delta-V had been retrieved from an Event Data Recorder on the case vehicle. WinSmash was found to underestimate delta-V by 23% on average. WinSmash was found to be most accurate in crashes involving full frontal engagement of the vehicle structure. When using categorical stiffness coefficients, the accuracy of delta-V estimates was found to be a strong function of vehicle type. WinSmash underestimated delta-V for pickup trucks by only 3%, but underestimated delta-V for front-wheel drive cars by 31%. The use of vehicle-specific stiffness coefficients improved the accuracy of the longitudinal delta-V estimate. The single most important factor in improving WinSmash accuracy was the inclusion of restitution. After adjusting for restitution, WinSmash underestimated delta-V in frontal crashes by only 1% on average.
authors.affiliation: Rowan University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niehoff
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Gabler
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000145:classification* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001336:Automobiles / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software