Procedure

The scene was surveyed and modeled using 3D Studio. Photos of the store fronts were used to create a realistic look to the buildings. The six vehicles (1998 VW Jetta sedan, 2006 Mini Cooper, 2004 Suzuki Vitara sport-utility, 2000 Chrysler Town & Country van, 1984 Ford F-150 pickup and 1994 Warrington Equipment utility trailer) were used as-is, directly from the HVE Vehicle database.

EDSMAC4 was used to simulate the collision sequence. Initially, the first three northbound vehicles were stopped, waiting for the light to change. The Chrysler van crashed into the rear of the Suzuki, causing a chain reaction collision with the Mini Cooper and the VW Jetta. The VW Jetta was pushed out into the intersection, where it struck the side of an eastbound utility trailer being towed by the Ford pickup. All the vehicles ultimately came to rest in the intersection and sidewalk. The goal of the study was to find the speed of the vehicle that started the chain reaction collision. A second goal was to determine the collision severity of each crash as a means of assessing the injury exposure for each occupant.

Learn more about HVE and HVE-2D at www.edccorp.com