Technical Paper
Coefficient of Restitution and Collision Pulse Duration in Low-Speed Vehicle-to-Barrier Impacts
2023-04-11
2023-01-0624
The coefficient of restitution is utilized in various methods for determining the change in velocity (delta-V) associated with a vehicle collision event. Additionally, for a given delta-V, the magnitude of vehicle acceleration varies with different collision pulse durations. Collision restitution and duration parameters are thus considered by both accident reconstructionists and biomechanists in the investigation of vehicle collision severity and occupant injury potential. Because of the uniqueness of individual vehicle designs, it is difficult to determine a collision’s specific coefficient of restitution and crash pulse duration. Accident reconstructionists often estimate the values of these parameters based on staged crash tests. Prior studies involving low-speed collisions have sought to determine correlations between restitution and collision characteristics and have established equations to assist in estimating restitution.