Test method for evaluating aggressiveness of sport utility vehicle bumper in accidents involving pedestrians - Part 1: applicability limitation of subsystem legform impactor

摘要

The EEVC/WG 17 pedestrian subsystem test method using a legform impactor has been developed mainly to evaluate the aggressiveness of passenger car front bumpers. However, in recent years the number of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with high bumpers (i.e., large bumper height) has been rapidly increasing. Since the EEVC legform impactor does not have the upper body mass, its application in evaluating the aggressiveness of bumpers of such vehicles might not always be appropriate. Therefore, the objective of this research is to determine the upper limit of bumper height for application of this impactor. This height limit was determined by investigating the kinematic behavior of the EEVC legform impactor in impacts against bumpers of various heights. The present results indicate that the pedestrian subsystem test method using the EEVC legform impactor cannot be applied when evaluating frontal bumper aggressiveness of a relatively limited number of vehicle types with a bumper lower height exceeding 550mm.