Citation

Otubushin A, Hughes D, Ridley N, Taylor K. Int. J. Crashworthiness 1999; 4(2): 159-174.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The absolute number of fatally injured pedestrians in the UK has been decreasing in recent years. Statistics show that there were merely 997 fatally injured pedestrians in 1996 and together with fatally injured cyclists, this group of vulnerable road users accounted for 34% of the total UK road user deaths. In the same year, approximately 7,000 pedestrians were killed throughout Europe. It is against this background that the European Commission is considering a draft proposal for pedestrian protection legislation to cover passenger cars. Setting aside the argument relating to the most efficient method of achieving pedestrian protection, it is understood that cost-effective car-based pedestrian protection must be designed into vehicles at the earliest stage of product development. This will mean a reliance on predictive methods in order to avoid extensive test programmes. In this paper the results of 70 headform impacts to the bonnets of seven European vehicles are first analysed. Using the Head Injury Criteria (HIC) and peak acceleration as response measurements, the analysis concentrates on impacts resulting in low to moderate responses. Common traits are explored across the vehicles for these impacts and design guidelines given for future vehicles. "Thereafter follows a detailed finite element analysis using one of the vehicles and varying parameters such as headform skin material, attachment of inner and outer bonnet panels, inclusion of NVH padding and precise impact location. Both child and adult headforms are used at a variety of impact locations including hinges, large areas of unsupported bonnet and over the engine. Recommendations are then given for the further development and future application of the technique.

Language: en