01332851

Component

In transport vehicles, the forces that lead to passenger discomfort and injury are a result of the accelerations of the vehicle itself. The purpose of this study was to quantify the accelerations experienced by passengers seated in the small to mid-size transit vehicles that are most commonly used by paratransit or shuttle operators. Three different sized vehicles were studied. Each vehicle was instrumented with two tri-axial accelerometers to determine the accelerations in the front and in the wheelchair securement area of the vehicle as it moved through normal driving conditions. The test procedure was based on one that had been previously developed and validated by the research team for large vehicles. Recognizing an important difference between large and smaller vehicles, the analysis was expanded to include an added focus on vertical accelerations as a function of seating location. A standard route was selected and vehicle accelerations were recorded at 100Hz (for each axis). The data was time averaged to 20Hz for analysis. The final results indicate overall vehicle accelerations of less than 0.3g in both the x and y directions (fore-and-aft and side-to-side). However, in the z-direction (up-and-down) accelerations of up to 0.97g were recorded and a significant difference was identified in accelerations between the front and rear of the vehicles. The results of this project provide a quantitative insight to the vehicle motion that will cause passenger discomfort and movement during normal driving conditions. These results will have important implications for local and state public transportation agencies and the motor coach industry as new accessible vehicles are being designed, purchased, and operated in paratransit and shuttle operations.

01329018

11-1064

English

18p

2011

Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting

DVD

Figures; Photos; References (3) ; Tables (3)

Acceleration (Mechanics); Injury causes; Paratransit vehicles; Passenger comfort; Public transit; Shuttle buses; Vehicle design; Vehicle safety

Seating position

Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2011 Paper #11-1064

TRIS, TRB

Feb 17 2011 5:40PM