APSN biometrics workshop - TRL rear impact volunteer testing - methods and measurements

More than one million European citizens suffer whiplash type neck injuries from car collisions every year at an estimated cost of 5 to 10 billioneuros per year. As part of a long term programme to contribute to thedevelopment and assessment of rear impact dummies, the UK Department forTransport commissioned TRL to investigate the requirements for a rear impact dummyincluding the biofidelity in rear impact tests.As part of this work,TRLhas undertaken two series of volunteer rear impact tests,one involving purerear impact and one oblique rear impact. In both test series, volunteerkinematics were measured together with muscle electrical activity (EMG),seat bavk forces and seat back pressure distribution.The EMG data fromthe first test series suggested that the volunteers had been expecting the impact and had been at least partially braced.In the second series,an attempt was made to ensure that the volunteers were distracted such that they were not aware of the exact time of the impending impact and so that they would be less likely to be braced. This paper presents the measurement techniques used in the rear impact volunteers tests and presents some preliminary results. The utility of the different measurements in the context of rear impact dummy assessment is discussed.(A)

• Authors:
  • HYND, D
  • WILLIS, C
  • ROBERTS, A
• Publication Date: 2006-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 18p
• Serial:
  • TRL STAFF PAPER
  • Publisher: TRL

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Anthropometry; Crashes; Dummies; Evaluation; Impact tests; Injuries; Rear end crashes; Vertebrae
• Uncontrolled Terms: Offset impact test
• ITRD Terms: 1618: Anthropometric dummy; 2040: Cervical vertebrae; 1631: Collision; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1648: Impact test (crash); 2163: Injury; 1620: Rear end collision
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01034030
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Oct 6 2006 2:15PM