Crashworthiness

Small Overlap / Oblique Program

Studies have shown that fatalities still occur with vehicles equipped with safety belts and airbags in both small overlap and oblique crashes. Small overlap crashes are crashes with all the damage outside the main longitudinal. Oblique crashes engaged on of the main longitudinal member and caused the occupant to move in an oblique manner. Therefore, the agency is trying to develop test procedure to reduce fatalities and injuries in these two crash modes.