History Crash test dummy

1 history

1.1 cadaver testing
1.2 volunteer testing
1.3 animal testing

history

on august 31, 1869, mary ward became first recorded victim of automobile accident; car involved steam-powered (karl benz did not invent gasoline-powered automobile until 1886). ward, of parsonstown, ireland, thrown out of motor vehicle , killed. thirty years later, on september 13, 1899, henry bliss became north america s first motor vehicle fatality when hit while stepping off new york city trolley. since then, on 20 million people worldwide have died due motor vehicle accidents.

the need means of analyzing , mitigating effects of motor vehicle accidents on humans felt after commercial production of automobiles began in late 1890s, , 1930s, when automobile became common part of daily life , number of motor vehicle deaths rising. death rates had surpassed 15.6 fatalities per 100 million vehicle-miles , continuing climb.

in 1930 cars had dashboards of rigid metal, non-collapsible steering columns, , protruding knobs, buttons, , levers. without seat belts, passengers in frontal collision hurled against interior of automobile or through windshield. vehicle body rigid, , impact forces transmitted directly vehicle occupants. late 1950s, car manufacturers on public record saying vehicle accidents not made survivable because forces in crash great.

cadaver testing

detroit s wayne state university first begin serious work on collecting data on effects of high-speed collisions on human body. in late 1930s there no reliable data on how human body responds sudden, violent forces acting on in automobile accident. furthermore, no effective tools existed measure such responses. biomechanics field barely in infancy. therefore necessary employ 2 types of test subjects in order develop initial data sets.

the first test subjects human cadavers. used obtain fundamental information human body s ability withstand crushing , tearing forces typically experienced in high-speed accident. such end, steel ball bearings dropped on skulls, , bodies dumped down unused elevator shafts onto steel plates. cadavers fitted crude accelerometers strapped automobiles , subjected head-on collisions , vehicle rollovers.

albert king s 1995 journal of trauma article, humanitarian benefits of cadaver research on injury prevention , states value in human lives saved result of cadaver research. king s calculations indicate result of design changes implemented 1987, cadaver research since saved 8,500 lives annually. notes every cadaver used, each year 61 people survive due wearing seat belts, 147 live due air bags, , 68 survive windshield impact.

however, work cadavers presented many problems resolved. not there moral , ethical issues related working dead, there research concerns. majority of cadavers available older white adults had died non-violent deaths; did not represent demographic cross-section of accident victims. deceased accident victims not employed because data might collected such experimental subjects compromised cadaver s previous injuries. since no 2 cadavers same, , since specific part of cadaver used once, extremely difficult achieve reliable comparison data. in addition, child cadavers not difficult obtain, both legal , public opinion made them unusable. moreover, crash testing became more routine, suitable cadavers became increasingly scarce. result, biometric data limited in extent , skewed toward older males.

very little attention has been paid obesity , car crash studies, , hard obtain obese dummy experiment. instead, human cadavers used. body weight vital factor when comes automobile accidents, , body mass distributed differently in obese person versus non-obese person. @ university of michigan, obese cadavers tested , compared non-obese cadavers, , found obese cadavers had more injuries in lower extremities. researchers suggested obese person protected fat causing cushioning effect.

the use of ndts or neutral density targets implemented inside cadavers brains focus on impact , separation of brain , skull. ndts provided detailed observations , allowed researchers @ specific area of brain after crash stimulation. helped establish , develop fe model. measure neck injuries 3 year olds, model fe created. real child s neck interpreted , incorporated fe model. there few fe models , utilized through sled tests.

volunteer testing

colonel stapp testing rocket sled @ edwards air force base

some researchers took upon serve crash test dummies. colonel john paul stapp usaf propelled himself on 1000 km/h on rocket sled , stopped in 1.4 seconds. lawrence patrick, professor @ wayne state university, endured 400 rides on rocket sled in order test effects of rapid deceleration on human body. , students allowed smashed in chest heavy metal pendulums, impacted in face pneumatically driven rotary hammers, , sprayed shattered glass simulate window implosion. while admitting made him little sore , patrick has said research , students conducted seminal in developing mathematical models against further research compared. while data live testing valuable, human subjects not withstand tests went past degree of physical injury. gather information causes , prevention of injuries , fatalities require different kind of subject.

animal testing

by mid-1950s, bulk of information cadaver testing provide had been harvested. necessary collect data on accident survivability, research cadavers woefully inadequate. in concert shortage of cadavers, need forced researchers seek other models. description mary roach of eighth stapp car crash , field demonstration conference shows direction in research had begun move. saw chimpanzees riding rocket sleds, bear on impact swing...we observed pig, anesthetized , placed in sitting position on swing in harness, crashed deep-dish steering wheel @ 10 mph.

one important research objective not achieved either cadavers or live humans means of reducing injuries caused impalement on steering column. 1964, on million fatalities resulting steering wheel impact had been recorded, significant percentage of fatalities; introduction general motors in 1960s of collapsible steering column cut risk of steering-wheel death fifty percent. commonly used animal subjects in cabin-collision studies pigs, because internal structure similar human s. pigs can placed in vehicle in approximation of seated human.

the ability sit upright important requirement test animals in order common fatal injury among human victims, decapitation, studied. additionally, important researchers able determine extent cabin design needed modified ensure optimal survival circumstances. instance, dashboard little padding or padding stiff or soft not reduce head injury on dash no padding @ all. while knobs, levers, , buttons essential in operation of vehicle, design modifications best ensure these elements did not tear or puncture victims in crash. rear-view mirror impact significant occurrence in frontal collision; how should mirror built both rigid enough perform task , yet of low injury risk if struck.

while work cadavers had aroused opposition, religious institutions, grudgingly accepted because dead, being dead, felt no pain, , indignity of situations directly related easing pain of living. animal research, on other hand, aroused greater passion. animal rights groups such aspca vehement in protest, , while researchers such patrick supported animal testing because of ability produce reliable, applicable data, there nonetheless strong ethical unease process. researchers @ university of virginia have call cadaver s family , tell them using loved 1 for, after getting consent family. seems lessen ethical dilemmas in contrast animal testing, because there no sufficient way consent use animal.

although animal test data still more obtained cadaver data, fact animals not people , difficulty of employing adequate internal instrumentation limited usefulness. animal testing no longer practiced of major automobile makers; general motors discontinued live testing in 1993 , other manufacturers followed suit shortly thereafter.

in 1980, use of animals such bears , pigs tested in car stimulation crashes. led moral dilemmas , not first time animals used in car crashes. in 1978, university of michigan highway safety research institute used baboons tested substitute humans in car crashes. although there objection of animal cruelty arose, there controversy of how similar humans , can used sufficient testing substitution us. researchers did not end stopping use of baboons because of moral objections, instead stopped because found sufficient data. moral inputs other people , organizations inconsistent, caused implications when deciding ban healthy animals research testing. animals put under anesthesia, there no pain put upon them, aftereffects can not justify this. general motors corporation used animals testing, , suggested put animals under anesthesia , kill animals after testing complete.

although university of michigan highway safety research institute did bad publicity, suggested not reason why stopped using baboons. university of michigan s mission create safer cars human use. in order reach goal, research , testing inevitable. cruelty , moral dilemmas of animal testing did not trump researchers still using them subjects. reasoned biomechanics data needed experiment this, lead safer cars. years later animal testing ceased , instead instrumental dummy created replacement. in 1978, animals source of subject reliable substitution human being. disadvantage though using instrumental dummy or human cadaver, tissue not alive , not elicit same response as, example, live animal. today, not common see animals being tested upon automobile accidents because of advance in computers , technology. is, although, difficult use cadavers instead of animals because of human rights, , difficult obtain permission families, children. consent research , testing can occur if person responsible giving consent competent person , 1 comprehends research , testing procedures fully.