The influence of crash pulse characteristics on injury risks in real-life frontal impacts

摘要

The aim of this study was to study the influence of different crash pulse characteristics on the injury risk for different kind of injuries in frontal impacts. The results from 160 real-life frontal impacts where crash-pulses have been measuredwith crash pulse recorders were analysed together with injury data from 219 restrained front seat occupants. Change of velocity and mean and peak accelerations were calculated from each recorded crash-pulse. The results and conclusions were that change of velocity, mean and peak accelerations influence the injury risk, where either high change of velocity, high mean or high peak acceleration may lead to severe injuries. However, in the studied impacts, mean and peak accelerations were found to betterexplain the risk of injury than did change of velocity. It was also found that women had a higher risk of minor injuries than did men while the risk of moderate and severe injuries were found to be similar.