Large Animal Impacts to Automotive Roof Structures

Vehicles impacting large animals such as elk, cattle, moose or deer can catastrophically injure front seat occupants. We have been studying the general injury patterns observed in these impacts, as well as the general vehicle motions and interactions with the animals. Some automotive manufacturers, such as Saab and Volvo, have long recognized the serious threat that these impacts pose and have incorporated design considerations to deal with them. Their methodologies and design concepts have been studied, tested, and applied to other vehicles. Quasi-static test procedures have been documented to understand and quantify how vehicle roof structures react in these loading environments. Stock production and modified production vehicles were tested using a quasi-static procedure with simple design considerations and have demonstrated significant improvements in occupant protection and roof crush resistance.