Of Crash Test Dummies and Safety Belts
They don’t call the Smithsonian Americas Attic for nothing
Edith and Archie's chairs
The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution, sometimes referred to as “America’s Attic”, was founded in 1835 as a result of a bequest of $500,000 (over $10 million now) from a British scientist by the name of James Smithson who, oddly enough, never even set foot on American soil (until, that is, a regent of the Smithsonian by the name of Alexander Graham Bell had his remains moved from Genoa to Washington D.C. in 1904).
Since that time, the Smithsonian, which is now comprised of 22 museums (18 in Washington D.C.), has managed to amass a collection that includes everything from the first Wright Flyer to the arm chairs that Archie and Edith Bunker sat in.
New additions
Earlier this week, both General Motors and Volvo announced that each had donated items to the Smithsonian that will become part of a permanent collection of automotive safety advancements at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Three-point belt
Volvo’s contribution to the collection is a three-point safety belt, much like the first one that was fitted to a Volvo on August 13, 1959.
The specific belt and the accompanying original seat donated by Volvo had its authenticity verified to a previous owner and the factory, which confirmed that it is an original fitting from a 1961 Volvo PV 544.
“The three-point safety belt turned 50 and fortunately there were already plans under way to show a collection of innovations relating to the automobile’s history,” relates Dan Johnston, product communications manager Volvo Cars of North America. “Today Nils Bohlin’s simple but ingenious life-saver is an integral part of American history.”
Crash Test Dummy
General Motors’ contribution to the collection is a bit more sophisticated: 50H-1, an Anthropomorphic Test Device, or, as it’s more commonly known (at least at GM), ATD. A Hybrid III dummy designed in the 1980’s, the designation also refers to the fact that this particular version represents “a typical male adult in the 50th percentile for height and weight.”
“GM’s leading role in the development of crash test devices over the decades makes it fitting that one of our crash veterans become part of the Smithsonian’s collections,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Safety Policy. “With all that we have learned from him over the years, it almost seems unfair to call 50H-1 a dummy.”
Vince and Larry
Along with 200 “brothers and sisters” at the GM Milford proving ground, 50H-1 has been busy, having been used in more than 50 tests since 2007 including everything from rollover crash testing to the more mundane duties of seat positioning and seat belt routing. Besides 50H-1 which, incidentally, has seen some 15 years of service, the costumes and props from the “Vince and Larry” safety belt PSA campaign by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council will also be displayed.
In addition to 50H-1, GM also donated an ATD leg and instruments used for the measurement of crash forces as well as an energy-absorbing steering column from a 1967 Chevrolet.
NHTSA Administrator David Strickland with donations
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This syndicated post originally appeared at AutoBlog, Automotive News, Car Blog - Lotpro.com on 14 July 2010
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