National Transport Library Research Database

FIMCAR - Frontal krock och kompatibilitetsutvärdering (FIMCAR - Frontal Impact and Compatibility Assessment Research)

  • Thomson, Robert
  • Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut (VTI), Statligt forskningsinstitut, 202100-0704
Sponsors, duration, budget: Trafikverket ; 2009-09-01 -- 2012-08-31 ; 987000 kronorRegistration number:
  • Trafikverket 2010/8912
Subject(s): Online resources: Abstract: Lagstiftning och konsumentprovning har skapat bra förutsättningar för fordonssäkerhet i Europa. Antalet skadade i trafiken har minskat på senare tid tack vare satsningar som tex EURO-NCAP. Tyvärr blir säkerhet inriktad mot bilens prestanda hos laboratorium prov och säkerhetsutrustning inte fungera fullt ute i vanligt trafik speciellt när vikten på bilar skiljer. Även kollisioner mellan identiska bilmodeller visar sämre prestanda när jämförde med bilmodellens prov mot barriär. Försämrad säkerhet är pga. okompatibilitet när bilar har olika struktur och styvhet och ledas till att energiabsorberandestruktur inte användas fullt. Projektet FIMCAR har syftet att hitta en provningsmetod som kan mäta och försäkra bilens kompatibilitetsegenskaper så att trafikanten inte drabbas av outnyttade säkerhetskomponenter under en krock. Projektet är en samling av 18 st biltillverkare, forskningsinstitut, leverantörer, och universitet. Projektet använder tidigare forskning som kan samordnas i ett Europeiska sammanhang så resultat tillämpas även innan lagstiftning och prov metoder inrättas. Fokusen är på M1 bilar under 3,5 ton men VTI har syftet att undersöka även bilens prestanda hos vägmiljö och tyng fordon.Abstract: Vehicle safety has been improved in Europe with the introduction of legislative and consumer testing. The reduction of road casualties over the last decade can be attributed to advances and improvements of self protection systems. Stronger occupant compartments and improved occupant restraint systems are evident in the higher assessments awarded in the Euro NCAP testing program. However, in today’s passive safety tests the role of the collision partner is not reflected. Significant evidence from previous research supports the conclusion that vehicle-to-vehicle crash performance is worse than single vehicle-to-barrier test performance, even when the collision partner is an identical vehicle model. This unfortunate fact means that new safety features do not perform as well as expected in real world conditions. This behaviour is a function of the incompatibility encountered in the vehicle fleet today. In vehicle-to-vehicle accidents, both the self and the partner protection are important for overall safety. Until vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility is controlled through objective test procedures, significant gains in road safety are not be addressed as specified in the EC white paper. The proposed FIMCAR project aims at proposing an assessment approach for vehicle-to-vehicle frontal compatibility which could be accepted by European research organisations and industry also taking into account the harmonisation with world-wide activities. This proposal will be a solid base for future regulation and would overcome the existing uncertainty that the European automotive industry has concerning vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility. In the process of developing test and assessment procedures for compatibility, the unified automotive industry in FIMCAR will be incorporating the fundamental knowledge needed to design and manufacture vehicles meeting or exceeding required crash compatibility performance. This research project and resulting assessment approach would thus lead to a reduction of road accident casualties and would strengthen the position of the European car manufacturers as vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility is a world-wide concern. The main outcome of the project will be an assessment approach for vehicle-to-vehicle (M1 vehicle total permissible mass less than 3.5 t) frontal impact compatibility. This will be a widely accepted result considering that the project consortium includes the major European research institutes working on compatibility (e.g., BASt, TNO, TRL, UTAC) and most of the European car manufacturers (Daimler, Fiat, Adam Opel (GM Europe), Peugeot, Renault, Volvo Car Corporation, Volkswagen). In addition cooperation with other international initiatives (e.g., Euro NCAP linked by BASt, IDIADA, TNO, TRL; Alliance of Automobile Manufacturer linked by the car industry, NHTSA, linked by UTAC and Japan linked SAFER and indirectly by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturer) will guarantee that the latest research results outside the consortium will be considered and will also strengthen the position of the FIMCAR recommendations. In addition results of the FIMCAR project will be disseminated to other working groups and projects (e.g., GRSP, EEVC, Euro NCAP, etc.) to support their activities.
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