The reconstruction and/or simulation of vehicle impacts into poles/trees pose a different problem than normal car-to-car collisions. First, the object being struck is a narrow width, non-deforming object. All kinetic energy dissipated during the collision is absorbed by the vehicle structure (unless the pole or tree fractures). Also, an important aspect of a vehicle collision with a pole/tree is the location of the pole/tree on the vehicle periphery. The pole/tree is a narrow object. The location of the tree/pole on the vehicle at impact determines the characteristics of the crush resistance force of the vehicle (i.e., is the impact location on the vehicle a hard or soft area of the vehicle structure?). Another consideration is if the pole/tree is offset from the center of gravity of the vehicle at impact, then the vehicle has an additional degree-of-freedom to rotate in response to the collision with the pole/tree in addition to crushing the vehicle structure. This can sometimes complicate the analysis of pole/tree impacts.
The following are some frontal and side pole impact tests and the corresponding calculations of K stiffness values.
On the next two pages are tables of all the Pole Impact crash tests contained in the NHTSA crash test database. You can obtain more detailed information on the cited tests by accessing the NHTSA Crash Test database (m-edit Tools Menu – Database) and selecting the crash test by Test Number.
We will be adding a more complete writeup on interpretation and reconstruction of pole impacts in the near future.
Figure 11 Summary of some side impacts against rigid pole tests
Table 1 Pole Impact Tests in the NHTSA Crash Test Database
Test# |
Make |
Model |
Year |
Body |
Wgt |
Velocity |
Angle |
Offset |
L |
Crush |
D |
4433 |
Chevy |
C10 PU |
1986 |
PU |
4433 |
20 |
270 |
15.8 |
12 |
16.9 |
15.8 |
2185 |
Chevy |
Caprice |
1992 |
4dr |
4202 |
5.2 |
0 |
0 |
6.1 |
0.5 |
0 |
2186 |
Chevy |
Caprice |
1992 |
4dr |
4202 |
9.9 |
0 |
0 |
11.6 |
13.9 |
0 |
2187 |
Chevy |
Caprice |
1992 |
4dr |
4202 |
10.1 |
0 |
0 |
15.8 |
20 |
0 |
2188 |
Chevy |
Caprice |
1992 |
4dr |
4202 |
19.8 |
0 |
0 |
22.2 |
28.8 |
0 |
2189 |
Chevy |
Caprice |
1992 |
4dr |
4202 |
35 |
0 |
0 |
28.4 |
42.5 |
0 |
862 |
Chevy |
Impala |
1983 |
4dr |
4310 |
29.8 |
0 |
0 |
70.4 |
28.3 |
0 |
698 |
Chevy |
Vega |
1973 |
3dr |
2558 |
19.6 |
0 |
|
61 |
22 |
11.5 |
709 |
Chevy |
Vega |
1973 |
3dr |
2658 |
20.1 |
0 |
|
61 |
21 |
0 |
518 |
Chevy |
Vega |
1974 |
3dr |
2805 |
20 |
0 |
2.8 |
8 |
16 |
2.8 |
867 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1979 |
3dr |
1962 |
30.1 |
270 |
-19.5 |
8 |
17.3 |
0 |
909 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1979 |
2dr |
1800 |
24.6 |
0 |
0 |
53 |
23 |
0 |
1106 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1980 |
3dr |
2010 |
28.6 |
270 |
-8 |
104.1 |
26 |
-16 |
473 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1981 |
3dr |
2265 |
20 |
0 |
9.7 |
62.4 |
17 |
9.7 |
473 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1981 |
3dr |
2265 |
20 |
9.7 |
|
62.4 |
17 |
9.7 |
1107 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
30.5 |
270 |
-8 |
63 |
9.5 |
-16 |
1225 |
Dodge |
Colt |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
28.9 |
270 |
n/a |
47.5 |
7.5 |
-9.8 |
680 |
Dodge |
Diplomat |
1981 |
4dr |
4271 |
29.9 |
0 |
|
14 |
29.3 |
n/a |
846 |
Dodge |
Omni |
1983 |
5dr |
2888 |
29.8 |
0 |
0 |
19.5 |
30.2 |
0 |
876 |
Dodge |
Omni |
1983 |
5dr |
2788 |
30 |
0 |
9.5 |
66.6 |
26.3 |
-9.5 |
910 |
Dodge |
St. Regis |
1979 |
2dr |
4500 |
31.8 |
270 |
-14.1 |
8 |
8.5 |
0 |
911 |
Dodge |
St. Regis |
1979 |
2dr |
1800 |
10.3 |
0 |
0 |
92.6 |
12 |
0 |
2114 |
Ford |
F150 PU |
1986 |
PU |
4136 |
20.3 |
270 |
18.8 |
12 |
23.5 |
18.8 |
761 |
Ford |
LTD |
1980 |
4dr |
4260 |
29.9 |
0 |
|
48 |
32.5 |
0 |
666 |
Ford |
LTD |
1982 |
4dr |
4356 |
30.1 |
0 |
|
12 |
31.4 |
n/a |
2170 |
Ford |
Taurus |
1987 |
4dr |
3569 |
4.9 |
0 |
|
9 |
2.2 |
0 |
2171 |
Ford |
Taurus |
1987 |
4dr |
3569 |
9.9 |
0 |
|
18.6 |
14.7 |
0 |
2172 |
Ford |
Taurus |
1987 |
4dr |
3569 |
9.9 |
0 |
|
19.4 |
18.2 |
0 |
2173 |
Ford |
Taurus |
1987 |
4dr |
3569 |
19.9 |
0 |
|
19.2 |
26 |
0 |
2174 |
Ford |
Taurus |
1987 |
4dr |
3569 |
34.9 |
0 |
|
18.5 |
42.3 |
0 |
819 |
Honda |
Accord |
1984 |
4dr |
2939 |
30 |
0 |
|
12 |
31.2 |
0 |
873 |
Honda |
Accord |
1984 |
4dr |
2824 |
30 |
0 |
9.5 |
61.9 |
29.6 |
-9.5 |
857 |
Honda |
Civic |
1979 |
3dr |
1964 |
29.2 |
270 |
-15.3 |
8 |
10.5 |
0 |
907 |
Honda |
Civic |
1979 |
2dr |
1806 |
25.7 |
0 |
0 |
68.1 |
19 |
0 |
449 |
Honda |
Civic |
1981 |
3dr |
2095 |
20 |
0 |
8 |
23 |
15 |
8 |
700 |
Honda |
Civic |
1981 |
3dr |
2090 |
19.9 |
0 |
|
59.9 |
15 |
-4.5 |
1648 |
Hyundai |
Excel GLS |
1987 |
4dr |
2172 |
9.5 |
|
|
10.5 |
11.2 |
0 |
1649 |
Hyundai |
Excel GLS |
1987 |
4dr |
2172 |
9.6 |
|
|
12 |
12.8 |
0 |
1650 |
Hyundai |
Excel GLS |
1987 |
4dr |
2172 |
14.6 |
|
|
12 |
17.5 |
0 |
1651 |
Hyundai |
Excel GLS |
1987 |
4dr |
2172 |
29.6 |
|
|
13.9 |
29.4 |
0 |
Table 2 Pole Impact Tests in the NHTSA Crash Test Database (cont.)
Test# |
Make |
Model |
Year |
Body |
Wgt |
Velocity |
Angle |
Offset |
L |
Crush |
D |
1841 |
Nissan |
Sentra |
1985 |
4dr |
2297 |
9.7 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
13.2 |
0 |
1842 |
Nissan |
Sentra |
1985 |
4dr |
2297 |
9.8 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
15.4 |
0 |
1843 |
Nissan |
Sentra |
1985 |
4dr |
2297 |
14.7 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
19.3 |
0 |
1844 |
Nissan |
Sentra |
1985 |
4dr |
2297 |
19.9 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
24 |
0 |
1845 |
Nissan |
Sentra |
1985 |
4dr |
2297 |
35 |
0 |
|
12 |
40.3 |
0 |
825 |
Other |
|
|
3dr |
1700 |
20.1 |
0 |
|
53 |
12.8 |
-4 |
1105 |
Plymouth |
Champ |
1980 |
3dr |
2010 |
29.4 |
270 |
-8 |
75.1 |
10 |
-22.5 |
1108 |
Plymouth |
Champ |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
29.7 |
270 |
-8 |
60 |
10 |
-18 |
1109 |
Plymouth |
Champ |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
29.5 |
270 |
-8 |
94.1 |
13 |
-23 |
1224 |
Plymouth |
Champ |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
29.3 |
270 |
n/a |
157.1 |
36 |
-18.5 |
1226 |
Plymouth |
Champ |
1981 |
3dr |
2010 |
29.6 |
270 |
n/a |
64 |
7.5 |
-19 |
847 |
Renault |
Fuego |
1983 |
3dr |
3024 |
29.9 |
0 |
0 |
31.7 |
25 |
0 |
872 |
Renault |
Fuego |
1983 |
3dr |
2942 |
30 |
0 |
9.5 |
51.5 |
26.1 |
-9.5 |
2266 |
Toyota |
Corolla |
1993 |
4dr |
2449 |
24.2 |
90 |
-43.3 |
84.1 |
-16 |
44 |
432 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1976 |
2dr |
2140 |
61.6 |
0 |
-14.3 |
44 |
18.5 |
|
441 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1976 |
2dr |
2126 |
19 |
0 |
-12.3 |
48 |
15.1 |
0 |
442 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1976 |
2dr |
2013 |
30.4 |
270 |
-15.5 |
77.1 |
11.5 |
n/a |
469 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1976 |
2dr |
1954 |
30 |
45 |
14 |
88.1 |
7.6 |
12 |
768 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1977 |
3dr |
2615 |
25 |
315 |
n/a |
32 |
17.3 |
-3 |
858 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1979 |
3dr |
1990 |
28.4 |
270 |
-18.8 |
8 |
11.1 |
0 |
908 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1979 |
2dr |
1835 |
24.7 |
0 |
0 |
55 |
22 |
0 |
476 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
5dr |
2509 |
20 |
0 |
-14.2 |
55 |
17 |
14.2 |
476 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
5dr |
2509 |
20 |
0 |
-14.2 |
55.5 |
17 |
14.2 |
662 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
5dr |
2178 |
20.2 |
0 |
-12.5 |
56.7 |
16 |
13 |
749 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
3dr |
2590 |
20.1 |
315 |
|
32 |
23.2 |
4.5 |
755 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
3dr |
2580 |
19.9 |
315 |
|
42 |
18.5 |
61.4 |
762 |
VW |
Rabbit |
1981 |
3dr |
2600 |
25 |
315 |
|
31 |
19.3 |
6.5 |
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