Dependence of the Head Injury Criterion and maximum acceleration on headform mass and initial velocity in tests simulating pedestrian impacts with vehicles

Instrumented headforms are projected at the fronts of cars in order to verify that a vehicle is not excessively injurious if a pedestrian is struck. Impact testing is primarily conducted at one velocity and with one mass of headform, despite the fact that real impacts occur at a range of velocities and masses. In this paper, the author proposes a method to predict the Head Injury Collision (HIC) and similar quantities at other velocities based on their values observed under test conditions. The paper sets out to determine what the HIC, maximum acceleration and maximum displacement would be with different masses or impact velocities. The results indicate that all three are power functions of mass headform and initial velocity. The study obtains simple formulae for the dependence of HIC, maximum acceleration, and maximum displacement on velocity and mass.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4025331
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01480731
• Authors:
  • Hutchinson, T P
• Publication Date: 2013-11

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 114508(1)-114508(4)
• Serial:
  • Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
  • Volume: 135
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • ISSN: 0148-0731
  • EISSN: 1528-8951
  • Serial URL: http://biomechanical.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/journal.aspx

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Crash injuries; Crash victim simulation; Damping (Physics); Head; Impact tests; Mass; Mathematical prediction; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; Velocity
• Identifier Terms: Head Injury Criterion
• Uncontrolled Terms: Headform
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01499913
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 25 2013 9:58AM