Title: Rollover Crash and Laboratory Tests of Ejection Reduction By Glass-Plastic Side Windows and Windshields
text: About one fourth of the occupant deaths in passenger cars in the United States involve either complete or partial ejection. Approximately one half of these ejections are through glazing areas. This paper presents research results which demonstrate the potential of glass-plastic glazing to significantly reduce ejections through motor vehicle windows. Four passenger car and four light truck and van rollover experimental crashes were conducted. All the vehicles had glass-plastic front side window glazing. One of these included the improved glazing with a movable encapsulated “offset T-edge” design. Two in addition had glass-plastic windshields. Even with glass breakage and window frame distortion, the glass-plastic glazings maintained their “safety net” ejection reduction function. Laboratory dummy drop and sled tests of the movable glass-plastic glazing side windows are reported. Component tests are discussed which use 10 pound and 40 pound, eight inch diameter, chamois - covered spheres as test devices to evaluate the characteristics of the improved glazing relative to the Head Injury Criterion, laceration, and ejection reduction. Research remains to be carried out to assure sufficient deformation of the safety net glazing system to provide acceptable neck loads under severe glazing contact conditions.