Vehicle Design

Key Services
Assessment of crash safety data rating systems Assessment of crash test safety rating systems Analysis of the benefits of active safety technology Vehicle safety strategy development Development of advanced safety systems Linkage of injury predictions to real outcomes Development of virtual crash simulation Assessment of regulatory policy change Definition of future safety priorities

Crashworthiness design plays an important part in traffic injury reduction in terms of how well the vehicle occupant or pedestrian is protected in a crash. Crash avoidance due to improved braking (EBA) and handling (ESC) is a more recent but rapidly expanding area for injury prevention. The interaction between Active and Passive safety is also of importance in future safety strategies.

Modern vehicle manufacturers need to comply with more and more crashworthiness regulations in addition to performing well in consumer crash tests such as EuroNCAP. Safety ratings using real crash data also mean that manufacturers wishing to score well need an understanding of how cars crash in real life impact events. The cost-benefit associated with innovations in these areas can only ultimately be assessed using information from real crashes which in turn also allow the development of areas for further improvement.

Current short lead times from vehicle design to production, together with cost considerations mean that more and more preliminary work is done virtually. While simulation of crashes has advanced tremendously, the complex modelling of the vast array of real crashes, occupant kinematics and biomechanical tolerances is still in on-going development and still more detailed real-world crash information is necessary to facilitate this.

We have significant experience in the interrogation of real-world crash data for crash and injury prevention and have an extensive portfolio of work with vehicle manufacturers, governments and international research communities.

For more information on the type of consultancy we can provide for vehicle safety design, please contact us.