TRADE OF VEHICLE BODY REPAIR - eCollege

Module 3– Unit 4
Every car should be designed with the following crash safety
principles in mind:
• The impact from a collision is absorbed gradually by
controlled deformation of the outer parts of the car body.
• The passenger area is kept intact as long as possible.
• The interior is designed to reduce the risk of injury.
Safety-related vehicle laws cover design, performance levels and the
associated testing procedures: requirements for test inspections,
documentation and records for the process of approval: checks that
standards are being maintained during production; the issue of
safety-related documentation and many other requirements
throughout the vehicle’s service life.
Primary or active safety
This refers to the features designed into the vehicle which reduce
the possibility of an accident. These include primary design
elements such as dual-circuit braking systems, anti-lock braking
systems high aerodynamic stability and efficient bad weather
equipment, together with features that make the driver’s
environment safer, such as efficient through ventilation,
orthopaedic seating, improved all-round vision, easy to read
instruments and ergonomic controls.
An anti-lock braking system (ABS) enhances a driver’s ability to
steer the vehicle during hard braking. Sensors monitor how fast the
wheels are rotating and feed data continuously to a microprocessor
in the vehicle to signal that a wheel is approaching lockup. The
computer responds by sending a signal to apply and release brake
pressure as required. This pumping action continues as long as the
driver maintains adequate force on the brake pedal and impending
wheel condition is sensed.
The stability and handling of the vehicle are affected by the width
of the track and the more stable is the vehicle.
Secondary or passive safety
If a crash does happen, secondary safety design should protect the
passengers by:
• Making sure that, in the event of an accident, the occupants
stay inside the car.
• Minimizing the magnitude and duration of the deceleration
to which they are subjected.
Vehicle Body Repairs - Phase 2 19