Towards a definition of a test methodology for rollover resistance and rollover performance

A variety of test methodologies currently exist to assess the propensity of a vehicle to roll laterally, the vehicle performance during a rollover event, and the associated risk of injury to the occupant. There are indications as to which tests are appropriate when attempting to replicate rollover events observed in the field. Due to the complexity of a rollover, test repeatability is a concern as well as cost, and field relevance. Since revisions to governmental rollover regulations are currently being considered, an assessment of currently available rollover test methodologies would provide a context to compare the different experimental designs. Additionally, the design of injury prevention strategies such as side air curtains, 4-point belts, etc. will also require the establishment of repeatable, robust, and economical test methods. While some articles in the literature provide information on sub-groups of rollover tests, we are unaware of a comprehensive assessment of rollover propensity tests and rollover performance tests (for the vehicle and for the occupant). In the current paper, the literature was reviewed to document the available suite of rollover tests. Additional consideration is given to surrogate rollover occupants and their biofidelity in such an accident event: various dummy configurations and cadaver preparations have all been used. This paper is intended to provide, as complete as possible, an understanding of available test methodologies to date and their relative applicability to the varied aspects of rollover crashes. Copyright © 2004 SAE International.