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It is generally accepted today that the cervical spine of a car occupant who is involved in a low-speed rear end impact may suffer from soft tissue neck injuries leading to long-term impairment. Therefore, to assess the risk of sustaining such injuries is a major issue in traffic safety, and various neck injury criteria are being discussed for this purpose. In this study a new candidate for such an injury predictor, called Nkm, was developed. Results from a total of 37 sled tests with various car front seat models were evaluated to validate the new criterion. These results indicate that the new criterion offers the possibility to assess the kinematic phase of forward motion of a rear-end collision. In contrast, the NICmax which was also calculated for these tests allows to evaluate the retraction phase only. Furthermore, the influence of the seat design on its protective potential could be related to the Nkm values obtained.

In a collision of a low mass vehicle (600 kg) against a typical compact car (1200 kg), both vehicles cruising at 50 km/h, the LMV will experience a Δv of 20 m/s and a mean deceleration level of 45 - 50 g, approximately. The restraint systems of such vehicles must be adapted to this specific situation in order to guarantee a level of passive safety equal to current standards. The purpose of this study is to show that, in sled tests, FMVSS 208 and European occupant protection criteria can be met under the conditions encountered in a LMV, utilizing restraint system components which are appropriately adapted and optimised with respect to the severity of the crash situation under consideration.

Results of a one year field study initiated by the Swiss Federal Police Department in connection with a mandatory seat belt law effective January 1, 1976 are presented. 304 accidents with 153 killed and 257 severely injured (OAIS ≧ 2) belted occupants were analysed during this program. As belt effectiveness has previously been demonstrated in field investigations the following specific problems are discussed: Frequency and statistical significance of cases in which, with a high degree of probability, the belt had an adverse effect Relevant injury patterns Frequency and causes of belt failures including releasing difficulties after a crash Possible improvements. Furthermore, the applicability of Calspan's SMAC method is demonstrated and discussed. In case of car to car collisions the mass ratio is shown to be of importance. A correlation analysis between the velocity change during the collision phase (Δv) and the injury severity is performed.

The TF34 high bypass turbofan engine is being designed and developed to fulfill the powerplant requirements of the Navy's S-3A (VSX) aircraft. The Navy established specific requirements from the start of the development program to assure that the TF34 meets the very stringent demands of its carrier-based anti-submarine warfare environment. This paper discusses the selection of the optimum engine cycle and the aircraft mission analyses conducted to demonstrate that the selected engine met ASW mission requirements.