Technical report: physical and virtual passenger vehicle rollover crash tests: a literature review

Rollover crashes have received more attention in recent years for several reasons. Though automotive manufacturers have improved the safety of their vehicles in the frontal, side and rear crash modes, rollovers remain a significant threat to vehicle occupants. Rollovers occur least often of all crashes, but their fatality rate is second only to frontal crashes. Occupant safety in a rollover is a difficult challenge facing the automotive industry due to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the crash. Current standards do not ensure occupants involved in a rollover will be safe. The search for a repeatable and accurate dynamic rollover test to be used for a new safety regulation is ongoing. The newest safety tool for consumers is an informational rating given to vehicle models by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on the likelihood of a vehicle rolling over if a crash takes place. Researchers have been studying the dynamics of rollover crashes, and simulation has become an important tool in understanding this crash mode. As technology gets more and more advanced, the simulations have become more accurate and useful. The newest technology available to aid in safety research of all types is finite element (FE) analysis software. Full frontal, side, and rear crash tests have been performed and validated in FE software, however a full rollover model has yet to be published.