Safety's leading edge

摘要

Pedestrian safety testing has always been a hard sell for the car industry. Researchers have been looking at it since the early 1980s, but it has only recently started to become part of vehicle development. One of the problems is that the people it aims to protect aren't customers - the distinction may seem heartless, but it makes it very hard for large businesses to justify the millions in investment.rnIt's an issue that the pan-European Aprosys project has been working on since 2004. Its Vulnerable Road Users Group focuses on the plight of cyclists and pedestrians in road accidents. The group includes engineers from Fiat, Toyota and Daimler, as well as from suppliers, universities and research institutes.rn"The focus has changed in recent years," says Roger Hardy of Cranfield University, who leads the group. "There's less emphasis on upper leg injuries caused by the leading edge of the hood these days. The first point of contact is more commonly on the lower legs and the injuries can be quite serious."