In the sample crash, two vehicles (a 1999 Volkswagen Jetta and a 2002 Chevrolet S-10 Extended Cab Pickup) sideswipe each other on a freeway, sending the Jetta spinning into the median barrier. After rebounding back into the traffic lanes, the Jetta is struck by a third vehicle, a 2001 Ford Expedition.

This example, discussed in the Spring 2003 Technical Newsletter, illustrates the use of EDSMAC4 for simulating barrier collisions. Although there are several approaches, this example illustrates the best approach - in terms of both the mechanics of the collision and the visualization. For more details, download the Technical Session from the Spring 2003 Technical Newsletter.

If you would like to explore this example further, we have made the casefile (12 MB zip file) available so you can work with it in your HVE or HVE-2D software. Simply download the MedianBarrierCrashSimulation.hve casefile, unzip it into your ../supportFiles/case folder, and then open the casefile within your HVE or HVE-2D software.