CAE Automotive Safety Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary function of an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system?
- Increase fuel efficiency during cornering
- Detect and reduce loss of traction to prevent skidding (Correct answer)
- Automatically apply maximum braking force in all conditions
- Adjust suspension stiffness based on road surface
Correct answer: Detect and reduce loss of traction to prevent skidding
ESC detects loss of traction by comparing driver steering input to actual vehicle direction, then selectively applies brakes to individual wheels to correct oversteer or understeer.
Question 2: Which sensor type is most commonly used in tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) to directly measure inflation pressure?
- Capacitive pressure sensor
- Piezoelectric pressure sensor
- MEMS-based piezoresistive pressure sensor (Correct answer)
- Optical fiber pressure sensor
Correct answer: MEMS-based piezoresistive pressure sensor
Direct TPMS uses MEMS-based piezoresistive pressure sensors mounted inside the wheel that transmit pressure data wirelessly to the vehicle's ECU.
Question 3: In a frontal collision, at what approximate deceleration threshold (in g) does a typical supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbag deploy?
- 2–5 g
- 8–15 g (Correct answer)
- 20–30 g
- 50–60 g
Correct answer: 8–15 g
Airbag deployment is typically triggered when crash sensors detect decelerations of roughly 8–15 g sustained for a minimum duration, indicating a severe collision.
Question 4: What does the 'time-to-collision' (TTC) metric measure in forward collision warning systems?
- Time for the driver to react after a warning
- Estimated time before the host vehicle contacts the lead vehicle at current speeds (Correct answer)
- Maximum braking time required to stop from highway speed
- Duration of the warning signal presented to the driver
Correct answer: Estimated time before the host vehicle contacts the lead vehicle at current speeds
TTC is calculated as the gap distance divided by the closing speed, estimating how many seconds remain before a rear-end collision if no action is taken.
Question 5: Which standard governs functional safety requirements for automotive electrical and electronic systems?
- ISO 26262 (Correct answer)
- SAE J3016
- FMVSS 208
- UNECE R94
Correct answer: ISO 26262
ISO 26262 is the international standard for functional safety of road vehicle E/E systems, defining Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs) from A to D.
Question 6: Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems most commonly use which technology to detect lane markings?
- Radar sensors at the front bumper
- Forward-facing camera with image processing algorithms (Correct answer)
- Infrared sensors embedded in the road surface
- Ultrasonic sensors along the vehicle sides
Correct answer: Forward-facing camera with image processing algorithms
LDW systems rely on a forward-facing camera combined with image processing to identify painted lane markings and determine if the vehicle is drifting.
Question 7: In crash testing, what does the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) quantify?
- Peak force applied to the occupant's chest during a crash
- Risk of head injury based on resultant head acceleration over time (Correct answer)
- Rotational velocity of the head during a lateral impact
- Stiffness of the headrest during rear-end collisions
Correct answer: Risk of head injury based on resultant head acceleration over time
HIC is a biomechanical metric calculated from the integral of resultant head acceleration over the most critical 15 ms or 36 ms window during impact, with higher values indicating greater injury risk.
CAE Automotive Safety Systems 2
What is the primary function of an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system?