Documenting A High Speed, Rear End, Partial Overlap, Crash Test Of A Large Sedan & Stationary Commercial Trailer Craig Proctor-Parker
Accident Specialist, Durban, South Africa
A
bstract Crash scenarios involving a rear end impact are common place internationally. Some of the most devastating are often where a sedan collides into the rear of a commercial trailer, partial overlap. This type of crash is almost always with serious or fatal consequences. With a high number of these identified in a recent high profile Major Crash Investigation (MCI) project, a real life high speed test of this scenario was undertaken. Obtaining data from such a crash in a controlled environment for future comparative analysis is rarely presented. This paper presents a brief overview of the setup and results of the high speed rear end, sedan to stationary commercial trailer.
Keywords & phrases - Rear-end crash; head-rear crash; Under- ride crash, Rear end accident, High speed rear end impact, Partial overlap impact.
I
ntroduction: This research is based on a practical crash test session undertaken by Accident Specialist as a combination of research and awareness. Three different crash scenarios were presented, two of these remote controlled1. This particular crash being one of the three and is available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsT1VCL18Uk
Internationally, rear end crash scenarios are well represented in crash statistics, this too is a statistic that is prevalent in South Africa. Such crash scenarios are typically as a direct result of major traffic congestion, vehicles broken down at hazardous locations and/or simply due to driver error in their negligence either as the vehicle being struck (Target), or the vehicle striking (Bullet). As with opposite 112 Collision Magazine - Volume 13 Issue 1
Volume 13 Issue 1.indd 112
direction head-on, type impacts, high speed rear end partial overlap impacts present an even greater risk for a number of reason, not least of all the reduced contact area and therefore reduction in available material to absorb and dissipate the energies. Such crash scenarios typically result in fatal or at least serious injuries and damages. The investigation of such a crash scenario almost always centres around certain interrelated key issues that are almost always raised in litigation 35, an issue that will be highlighted later in the paper, however in brief are typically: •
Where was the target vehicle • •
Precise point of impact
It`s lateral position in respect of the road layout
•
Why was the Target vehicle at that position
•
What was pre-crash visibility
•
What was the speed of the vehicles
•
Mechanical issues?
•
The line of sight of the Bullet vehicle
•
Usually the focus is on the Bullet vehicle, but may also be the Target vehicle.
The nature of a high speed, partial overlap rear end crash is such that massive destruction of the Bullet vehicle is typical. This is especially so where massive disparity between the general structure types, size and strengths are the case as where a sedan strikes a commercial vehicle. Such disparities are already well identified internationally 13,14,15. If not from the crash itself, the extent of decimation to the Bullet vehicle
www.collisionmagazine.com
5/28/2019 9:35:00 AM
