Car to car struck side impacts - a comparison between European accident data and directive 96/27/EC

This paper summarises the main results of a European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee (EEVC) analysis of accident data from the UK and Germany conducted by EEVC WG 21 'Accident Studies' for EEVC WG13 'Side Impact' to inf01m the fmther development of side impact test procedures for cars. An overview showing the relative frequency of car to car side impacts within the accident population is presented. The distribution of variables within real world accident data relating to the dummy, the mass of the test banier and the test configuration (impact angle, impact location and speed) are compared to the specification within the European Side Impact Directive (96/27 /EC).