Assume:
- Train speed: 60mph = 27m/s
- totally inelastic collision (thanks to the soft body of the car)
then we can get the lateral acceleration that car/human subjected:
if impact duration is 0.3s : 27/0.3 = 90m/s2 = 10G
if impact duration is 0.2s : 27/0.3 = 135m/s2 = 13.5G
人所能承受的橫向加速度參見圖中的黃線。所以左側兩個人可以生存。右側由於車輛變形而沒有機會。
由於火車質量遠遠大於小車,這種碰撞類似於撞牆試驗。小車,軟車對成員的保護較好。