EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PEDESTRIAN KINEMATICS AND INJURIES

A series of car-to-pedestrian impact tests was conducted, 16 with an ONSER 50th percentile dummy and 31 with unembalmed cadavers. Impact speeds ranged from 10 to 40 kph, and the pedestrian was hit either frontally or laterally. Car models were employed with fronts identical to Citroen Visa and GSA models; a modified Visa model was also used. The cadaver results indicate a risk of severe injuries at impact speeds as low as 20 to 25 kph for both pedestrian orientations. The head impact speed increased with car impact speed and was higher for frontal than for lateral impact. The area of head impact was influenced by the cadaver height. The modified Visa front, which simultaneously contacts the thigh and the lower leg, seems to alter the head impact area but not the injuries.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published in HS-030 722, "International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impacts (5th) Proceedings," Amsterdam, 1980, pp 273-285. Conference held in Birmingham, England, 9-11 September 1980. Research sponsored by French Ministry of Transportation, and Citroen.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Council for Road Safety

  Laboratoire des Chocs et de Biomecanique
  69500 Bron,   France 

  Automobiles Citroen

  Centre Technique
  78140 Velizy,   France 

  Marseille Medical University

  Laboratoire d'Anatomie
  Marseille,   France 

  Centre d'Etudes de Traumatologie Routiere

  Salon-de-Provence,   France 
• Authors:
  • Cesari, D
  • Ramet, M
  • Cavallero, C
  • Billault, P
  • Gambarelli, J
  • Guerinel, G
  • Farisse, J
  • Seriat-Gautier, B
  • Bourret, P
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 13 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Biophysics; Cadavers; Crash injury research; Dummies; Frontal crashes; Injuries; Injury severity; Kinematics; Pedestrians; Side crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Severity
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00372681
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-030 745
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: May 31 1983 12:00AM