Instrumentation used in vehicle safety testing at Millbrook Proving Ground Ltd

This paper aims to investigate the specifications of sensors used in vehicle impact testing, especially in crash test dummies.

Describes the facilities of a UK vehicle test facility, then explores the design of crash test dummies and the sensors within them. Data collection and analysis techniques are reported.

The sensors incorporated in a crash test dummy must have the correct mass distribution so as not to affect its inertial behaviour. Dummies are designed for repeated crash testing. New sensor developments are expanding the range of measurements possible, and smaller, lower‐power‐dissipation and higher‐data‐density memory devices are facilitating a move towards data logging within the dummy.

This paper provides an insight into the world of crash testing, of general interest to scientists and engineers, and especially those who drive.