Improvement of accelerometers for pedestrian headform impactors in testing following Japanese vehicle safety regulations

摘要

Most pedestrian deaths in car-pedestrian accidents are due to head injuries. In 2005, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (J-MLIT) began assessing the safety of bonnets impacting on pedestrians' heads using headform impactors with designated technical specifications. J-MLIT has used Type Approval Regulation Version 1 of headform impactors fitted with small un-damped accelerometers since 2005. Meanwhile, oil-damped accelerometers have been used by J-MLIT Type Approval Regulation Version 2 headform impactors since 2010. This paper summarises the development of pedestrian headform impactors used in headform impact tests in Japan and points to increasing safety levels.