A crash impact attenuator is adapted for deployment on a vehicle, and includes a cartridge portion having at least one energy absorbing module, as well as a backup system having a backup frame, which is adapted to attach the cartridge portion to the vehicle. The backup system includes an actuator configured to pivot the cartridge portion between a deployed orientation and a stored orientation about a pivot axis disposed on a lower half of the backup system. The backup system further includes a lockout frame member having a contact surface on one end thereof, the lockout frame member being actuatable between a deployed orientation wherein the contact surface engages a portion of the backup frame to support the backup frame against vehicular impact forces and a stowed orientation wherein the contact surface is not engaged with the backup frame.

A system for managing wheel kinematics during a small overlap collision event includes a deflector apparatus. The deflector is configured to direct a wheel away from an occupant compartment of a vehicle. The deflector includes a first section arranged at an inside wall of a wheel well facing a wheel, near the base of a hinge-pillar. The first section includes a hollow structure configured to absorb energy from the collision event by plastically deforming. The deflector also includes a second section arranged at an angle to the wheel and configured to deflect the wheel laterally outwards from the vehicle away from an occupant compartment during the small overlap collision event. The deflector may be formed of extruded aluminum. The system may include an absorber arranged behind the first section and configured to further absorb energy from the collision event by plastically deforming.

A driverless traffic management vehicle has a control system having a controller interfacing steering and drive interfaces for control of respective steering and drive subsystems of the vehicle. The vehicle also has an impact attenuator and actuator therefor for configuring the attenuator in deployed and stowed configurations. The control system comprises at least one driverless mode controller operably controlling the steering and drive interfaces for controlling the vehicle in at least one of follow mode, remote-control and autonomous driverless mode of operation. To control traffic, the vehicle may be driven to a roadside location and set in the at least one driverless mode of operation to control the steering and drive interfaces accordingly.

A safety mechanism for use on a vehicle is provided. The safety mechanism comprises a buffer and a sensor that is configured to send an electrical signal to processing circuitry in the vehicle when the sensor is activated. Sufficient movement of the buffer activates the sensor. A drive line may also be provided with the buffer connected to the drive line. Movement of the buffer may cause rotation of the drive line, and sufficient rotation of the drive line may activate the sensor.

A crash impact attenuator is adapted for deployment on a vehicle, and includes a cartridge portion having at least one energy absorbing module, as well as a backup system having a backup frame, which is adapted to attach the cartridge portion to the vehicle. The backup system includes an actuator configured to pivot the cartridge portion between a deployed orientation and a stored orientation about a pivot axis disposed on a lower half of the backup system. The backup system further includes a lockout frame member having a contact surface on one end thereof, the lockout frame member being actuatable between a deployed orientation wherein the contact surface engages a portion of the backup frame to support the backup frame against vehicular impact forces and a stowed orientation wherein the contact surface is not engaged with the backup frame.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body defining a front wheel well. The vehicle body includes a rear wall vehicle-rearward of the front wheel well. The vehicle includes one or more cables supported at the rear wall. The cables are movable from a slack position to a taut position. The vehicle includes a pyrotechnic actuator operatively coupled to the cables to move the cables from the slack position to the taut position upon actuation of the pyrotechnic actuator.

An impact tracking system includes a sensor module that mounts to a fixed crash attenuator, sign, guardrail, or other roadway devices installed along a roadway. When the crash attenuator or other asset is impacted by an errant vehicle, the impact tracker, comprising a sensor system, senses and captures the impact data and sends an alert message to a remote receiver. The receiver may comprise known data receiving means, such as computers or phone systems, which may receive emails, text messages, photos, and the like in real or near real time. Received data may be analyzed, stored, and/or re-transmitted to additional receivers, which may include road authorities, such as transportation departments responsible for inspecting and repairing the impact attenuators.

A crash impact attenuator is adapted for deployment on a vehicle, and includes a cartridge portion having at least one energy absorbing module, as well as a backup system having a backup frame, which is adapted to attach the cartridge portion to the vehicle. The backup system includes an actuator configured to pivot the cartridge portion between a deployed orientation and a stored orientation about a pivot axis disposed on a lower half of the backup system. The backup system further includes a lockout frame member having a contact surface on one end thereof, the lockout frame member being actuatable between a deployed orientation wherein the contact surface engages a portion of the backup frame to support the backup frame against vehicular impact forces and a stowed orientation wherein the contact surface is not engaged with the backup frame.

A crash impact attenuator is adapted for deployment on a vehicle, and includes a cartridge portion having at least one energy absorbing module, as well as a backup system having a backup frame, which is adapted to attach the cartridge portion to the vehicle. The backup system includes an actuator configured to pivot the cartridge portion between a deployed orientation and a stored orientation about a pivot axis disposed on a lower half of the backup system. The backup system further includes a lockout frame member having a contact surface on one end thereof, the lockout frame member being actuatable between a deployed orientation wherein the contact surface engages a portion of the backup frame to support the backup frame against vehicular impact forces and a stowed orientation wherein the contact surface is not engaged with the backup frame.

Systems and methods are provided for dampening impact to a vehicle. The system may include a vehicle frame component; a plurality of adjustable exterior vehicle body components coupled to the frame component, wherein the vehicle body components are on different sides of a vehicle and are configurable to dampen an external force exerted on the vehicle; a plurality of actuator components configured to adjust physical configurations of the vehicle body components relative to the frame component; a component configured to collect data representing an external environment of the vehicle; and one or more processors configured to detect, by processing the data, an external driving condition, wherein the external driving condition is an impending collision between the vehicle and one or more objects external to the vehicle, and when the external driving condition is detected, cause the actuator components to correspondingly adjust the physical configurations of the vehicle body components.