DOI: 10.25549/examiner-m22868
title: Autos -- safety -- crash test, 1954

description: 3 images. Autos -- safety -- crash test, February 15 1954. Robert Brenner.; Supplementary material reads: "Glickman has some photos coming in made of auto crash test in which dummies were used in car. One shot is of Robert Brenner examining dummies in auto. One shows interior of wrecked car. Two shots of wrecked auto".; Other supplementary material reads: "University of California, Office of Public Information, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles 24, California, ARizona 30971 or BRadshaw 26161. Release Monday, Feb. 15, 1954. Automotive crash injury research by the institute of transportation and traffic engineering. Purpose os research: To study from an engineering point of view those factors associated with accidental destructive impact of automobiles -- with the aim of reducing or, if possible, eliminating bodily injury. Nature of tests: An instrumented 1937 Dodge sedan will be crashed against a barrier of power poles at a speed of 25 m.p.h. The car will contain two dummies named SED and ITTED. SED (Sierra Engineering Dummy) was designed by the Sierra Engineering Company of Sierra Madre, Calif. ITTED was designed by U.C.L.A.'s Institute of Transportation and Traffic Engineering, and is a battle-scarred veteran of previous crash tests. SED cost $3500 and has the principal joints and degrees of freedom of a human being. Its vertebrae are similar to human vertebrae. Both dummies were carefully engineered to have a dynamic response to the physical forces of impact similar to that of the average human being. Even their coverings were carefully designed to approximate human flesh compressibility. The dummies weight [sic.] about 200 pounds each. In today's crash SED will be the 'driver' and will be secured by a chest type safety belt developed by the Institute staff. ITTED will be the 'passenger' and will be secured by a lap type safety belt. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, a second test involving an identical car under the same experimental conditions will be held. In this crash SED will wear a new shoulder type belt while ITTED will have no restraining device".; Other supplementary material continues: "Instrumentation for the tests includes two high speed movie cameras to be operated at 1000 frames per second. Four other movie cameras will be used as well as a 10-channel recording oscillograph. Nine electronic accelerometers, four tensiometers and seven mechanical accelerometers will also be employed. Objectives: (1) To develop a system of instrumentation for accurately evaluating the physical factors associated with automotive crash deceleration. (2) Evaluation, protection-wise, of chest, shoulder, and lap type safety belts as motorist restraints. (3) Securing of additional data on permanent deformation of a car frame in such a crash and data that may help in estimating pre-impact velocity of wrecked vehicles. (4) Securing data on factors that lead to injury of unrestrained bodies during crash. The institute of transportation and traffic engineering: The Institute of Transportation and Traffic Engineering was established in 1947 by the State Legislature in the department of engineering for teaching and research in the transportation field. Headquarters are maintained on both the Los Angeles and Berkeley campuses of the University of California. Prof. John H. Mathewson is in charge at U.C.L.A. These tests are being carried out with the cooperation of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power which made the test site available".