Transportation Safety Crash Test A crash test is

Transportation Safety

Crash Test • A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation or related systems and components.

Types of Crash Tests • • Frontal Impact Overlap Side-impact Rollover Roadside Hardware Old v New Sled

STEM Careers in Crash Testing • • • Mechanical Engineer Civil Engineer Aerospace Engineer Automotive Engineer Electrical Engineer Industrial Engineer Computer Scientist Materials Engineer Physicist • Software Engineer • Chemical Engineer • Chemist

What Happens During a Crash? • Extreme changes in velocity (Delta V) • First Law of Thermodynamics states: – Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can be transferred from one form to another • In terms of passenger safety—in the event of a crash, how will bodies (and other objects) inside the vehicle respond if they are not secured? How will they respond if they are secured?

Seatbelts • Keep passengers safely in their seats during a crash

Airbags • Provides occupants a soft cushioning restraint during a crash to reduce injuries

Energy Absorbing Areas • Vehicles are designed to “crumple” around the occupant areas to absorb energy so that energy is not experienced by the passengers

Activity– egg crash test • Build safety features on your slingshot car and perform a crash test. These include: – Seatbelts – Passenger cell • Guiding question: how can I keep my egg in its seat during a front crash? • Rules: – Limited materials – Cannot completely cover egg – Egg must be visible and removable

Egg crash test, continued • Step 1: Observe front crash test to learn behavior of object on car. • Step 2: Design worksheet: – 2 a: Materials and design for passenger cell – 2 b: Materials and design for seatbelt • Step 3: Build phase • Step 4: Test phase – 4 a: Test run with plastic container – 4 b: Egg crash test