Citation

Bambach MR, Grzebieta RH. J. Australas. Coll. Road Saf. 2013; 24(4): 20-28.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Australasian College of Road Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Recent research into motorcyclist collisions with roadside barriers has indicated that while they are infrequent events, they often result in severe injury outcomes. Impacts with steel guardrail (W-beam) barrier posts have been identified as significant contributors to such injuries. Thoracic injury has been revealed as the body region most frequently seriously injured (AIS 3+), amongst fatal and non-fatal collisions. One approach to help reduce such trauma is to perform numerical simulations of motorcyclist-barrier collisions, and to develop and assess barrier types and barrier modifications and their impact on injury outcomes.

The aim of the present study is to validate a human FEM model of a motorcyclist impact with a guardrail post, specifically focusing on the incidence and severity of thoracic injuries. Field-observed cases of motorcyclist- barrier collisions in Australia are identified, where a collision of a motorcyclist sliding into a steel guardrail barrier was fully reconstructed. A numerical model of the THUMS human body model sliding into a steel guardrail barrier is developed using LSDYNA. The biomechanical response of the THUMS model is validated against cadaver experiments of blunt anterior-posterior and lateral impacts to the chest, and against the field-observed collisions. The validated model will be a useful tool to develop and assess barriers and barrier modifications designed to improve the safety of roadsides for motorcyclists.

Keywords: Motorcyclist, guardrail, thoracic injury, FEM, computer simulation