A towable crash-attenuating vehicle is shown having a frame; at least two axles coupled to the frame, each of the axles having wheels attached thereto; a T-shaped ballast coupled to the frame, and oriented such that the weight of the ballast is biased toward the front end of the frame; deflection shields coupled to the right and left sides of the frame, wherein the deflection shields cover the frame and a majority of the wheels on each side of the vehicle; a tow connection coupled to the front of the frame, pivotable from a deployed state to an undeployed state; an impact attenuator coupled to the rear of the frame; wherein the vehicle is provided with a brake system, and wherein said brake system may be locked and unlocked and wherein the vehicle is provided with an on-board mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.

A bumper cross member designed as a hollow chamber profile for a motor vehicle having an upper component and a lower component joined to the upper component. Both components are each designed as a half shell having two legs spaced apart from one another and a web connecting the legs. An insert plate is joined to the legs of the half shells. The insert plate is arranged between the joints of the legs of the half shells facing toward one another and bridges the joint spacing between the legs of the two half shells.

A bumper cross member designed as a hollow chamber profile for a motor vehicle having an upper component and a lower component joined to the upper component. Both components are each designed as a half shell having two legs spaced apart from one another and a web connecting the legs. An insert plate is joined to the legs of the half shells. The insert plate is arranged between the joints of the legs of the half shells facing toward one another and bridges the joint spacing between the legs of the two half shells.

A motor vehicle bumper that has a transverse carrier which can be secured transversely relative to the longitudinal carriers of the motor vehicle by crash boxes. The transverse carrier has a shell member which is open toward the front side and which has a rear wall and two outer members which are both adjoined at the end side by an outwardly directed longitudinal flange. The shell member has a central longitudinal portion which is adjoined in the direction toward the two ends of the transverse carrier by a transition portion, an intermediate portion, a crash box connection portion and an end portion. The shell member is closed at least over the majority of the length thereof by a closure plate which forms the front side. In the transition portions, the shell member has a minimum depth which is less than the maximum depth in the central longitudinal portion.

A system for managing lateral loads in a vehicle includes a crossmember and one or more structures that may be deformable. The crossmember is arranged laterally spanning a first longitudinal frame member, arranged on a first side of the vehicle, and a second longitudinal frame member of the vehicle, arranged on a second side of the vehicle. The structure is affixed to one lateral side of the vehicle, arranged longitudinally forward of the crossmember, arranged laterally outside of the first frame member, and is configured to deform during a small overlap collision. The structure, when under load, is configured to apply a lateral force on an end of the crossmember to cause lateral displacement of the vehicle. A vehicle may include a structure on each side of the vehicle to generate lateral displacement of the vehicle away from a colliding rigid barrier.

A pedestrian protection device for a motor vehicle includes a crossbar and a deformation device which is arranged in front of the crossbar. The deformation device has bending limbs with ends which contact a surface or come into contact with the surface in the event of a collision of the motor vehicle and which are designed to be movable along the surface as a result of the collision, and a latching device is formed on the surface, said latching device being latchable with the ends of the bending limbs as a result of the collision. The deformation device has a plurality of such bending limbs, wherein a first bending limb and a second bending limb are arranged adjacently to each other, and the first bending limb and the second bending limb are offset relative to each other in the movement direction of the bending limbs and/or the end of the first bending limb and the end of the second bending limb are designed to be movable in opposite directions.

A pedestrian protection device for a motor vehicle includes a crossbar and a deformation device which is arranged in front of the crossbar. The deformation device has bending limbs with ends which contact a surface or come into contact with the surface in the event of a collision of the motor vehicle and which are designed to be movable along the surface as a result of the collision, and a latching device is formed on the surface, said latching device being latchable with the ends of the bending limbs as a result of the collision. The deformation device has a plurality of such bending limbs, wherein a first bending limb and a second bending limb are arranged adjacently to each other, and the first bending limb and the second bending limb are offset relative to each other in the movement direction of the bending limbs and/or the end of the first bending limb and the end of the second bending limb are designed to be movable in opposite directions.

A shock absorbing component (a vehicular component having a shock absorbing structure) formed from an aluminum alloy hollow extrusion in an elongated shape includes a collision wall, a non-collision wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, and an inner rib. The collision wall forms a collision surface. The non-collision wall forms a non-collision surface 1B. The upper wall and the lower wall 40 connect the collision wall to the non-collision wall. The shock absorbing component is mounted to a vehicle with a stay (a mounting member) on the non-collision surface. The collision wall and the non-collision wall include joint portions joined to the inner rib. The joint portions of the collision wall and the non-collision wall include a collision wall-side recess formed by recessing the collision wall toward the inner rib in the longitudinal direction of the shock absorbing component and a non-collision wall-side recess formed by recessing the non-collision wall toward the inner rib in the longitudinal direction.

A shock absorbing component (a vehicular component having a shock absorbing structure) formed from an aluminum alloy hollow extrusion in an elongated shape includes a collision wall, a non-collision wall, an upper wall, a lower wall, and an inner rib. The collision wall forms a collision surface. The non-collision wall forms a non-collision surface 1B. The upper wall and the lower wall 40 connect the collision wall to the non-collision wall. The shock absorbing component is mounted to a vehicle with a stay (a mounting member) on the non-collision surface. The collision wall and the non-collision wall include joint portions joined to the inner rib. The joint portions of the collision wall and the non-collision wall include a collision wall-side recess formed by recessing the collision wall toward the inner rib in the longitudinal direction of the shock absorbing component and a non-collision wall-side recess formed by recessing the non-collision wall toward the inner rib in the longitudinal direction.

A towable crash-attenuating vehicle is shown having a frame; at least two axles coupled to the frame, each of the axles having wheels attached thereto; a ballast coupled to the frame; deflection shields coupled to the right and left sides of the frame, wherein the deflection shields cover the frame and a majority of the wheels on each side of the vehicle; a tow connection coupled to the front of the frame; an impact attenuator coupled to the rear of the frame; wherein the vehicle is provided with a brake system, and wherein the vehicle is provided with an mechanism for locking and unlocking the brake system.