Study probes results of speed increases

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Findings from a recently released AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Humanetics study determined small speed increases can have huge effects on crash outcomes.

The entities conducted crashes at three different impact speeds at 40, 50, and 56 mph. The work showed the slightly higher speeds were enough to increase the driver’s risk of severe injury or death.

“We conducted these crash tests to assess the effect of speeds on drivers and learned that a small increase could make a big difference on the harm to a human body,” David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said. “A speeding driver may arrive at their destination a few minutes faster, but is the tradeoff of getting severely injured or even losing one’s life worth it if a crash occurs?”

The Foundation collaborated with IIHS and Humanetics, the leading manufacturer of biofidelic crash test dummies, to execute the tests, officials said, noting three 2010 Honda CR-V EX crossovers were used because they represented the average age of a typical vehicle on U.S. roadways, 11.8 years, and earned the top rating in the IIHS moderate overlap front test. Calspan Corporation conducted all the tests in its crash laboratory in Buffalo, New York.

The work showed that, at the 40 mph impact speed, there was minimal intrusion into the driver’s space, while at the 50 mph impact speed, there was noticeable deformation of the driver side door opening, dashboard, and foot area.

At 56 mph, the vehicle interior was significantly compromised, with the dummy’s sensors registering severe neck injuries and possibly fractures to the long bones in the lower leg.