When vehicles collide with large animals such as cattle, moose, elk or horses, the front seat occupants can be seriously or fatally injured; often due to roof deformation.  In order to protect the front occupants in these accidents, it is necessary to understand the forces and energy involved in the interaction between the animal and the vehicle roof structure.  Based on Swedish test methods, SAFE Laboratories has developed a pendulum test incorporating an animal dummy to generate similar roof damage to that experienced by a vehicle in an actual animal impact.  The energy absorbed by the vehicle roof structure in the accident can then be quantified by comparing the accident vehicle roof crush to the pendulum test vehicle roof crush.  Ultimately, alternative roof structural designs can be tested and evaluated for both their crush resistance as well as occupant injury potential in this important crash mode.