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Light metal alloys based on magnesium and aluminum are increasingly being pursued for various vehicle interior applications because of distinct advantages such as weight savings and potential parts consolidation. One such application of light metal alloys is the steering wheel, which is an important component of a safety system that is comprised of the driver-side airbag, steering wheel, the steering column and its attachment bracketry to the instrument panel and the vehicle body structure. For the airbag to function effectively as a restraint during a frontal crash, the steering wheel has to provide adequate support. In addition to the steering column which is designed to absorb energy, the wheel can also function as an energy absorber if so designed. One way of achieving this energy absorption is through plastic deformation of the wheel. Adverse material characteristics, however, make the energy absorbing steering wheel design, using light metal alloys, a sizeable challenge.

Automotive vehicle crash safety requirements have steadily become more stringent over the last decade. Automobiles of tomorrow have to comply with a host of requirements in various crash modes in order to be considered roadworthy. In the first section of the paper, the current major requirements, some important requirements that are imminent, and desirable requirements in the near future are briefly discussed. Until recently, crash requirements have been focused mostly on the vehicle structure rather than the occupant protection, with the exception of frontal crash. Scarcity of in-depth interpretation of accident data, lack of biofidelic injury assessment devices (“crash dummies”) and the necessity for test repeatability had kept the testing procedures simple. Often, crash testing involved statically loading the vehicle to measure the structural strength, without consideration of the dynamic behavior of the structure or the structure/occupant interaction.