Evaluation of Safety of Helmets Using a Featureless Hybrid III Headform

The authors discuss a proposed new design procedure, including simulation testing, for head impact protection for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and riders of two-wheeled vehicles. The new procedure would mount a helmet on a featureless Hybrid III headform. In accordance with US vehicle safety standard FMVSS 201, the headform would assess upper interior head impact safety. During testing, a 6 m/s (13.5 mph) impact velocity was used when the helmet-headform system struck a rigid target to determine a helmet's effectiveness as a countermeasure for severe head injury risk minimization. Testing results are measured by Head Injury Criterion (HIC) with a helmet efficacy judging threshold limit (HICd) of 1,000 applied. A validated LS-DYNA model aids in demonstrating the proposed procedure, with a helmet model of a protective energy-absorbing foam padding of a given thickness bonded to the inner surface of a General Electric plastic-based shell. Rigid surface impact simulation results show an acceptable sample HICd value, and acceptable helmet safety design, is possible if the shell is 3-4 mm thick and the foam padding is suitably strong and minimally 35-40 mm thick.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/14793105
• Authors:
  • Deb, A
  • Biswas, U
  • Ruan, J
  • Gupta, N K
• Publication Date: 2006

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 330-347
• Serial:
  • International Journal of Vehicle Safety
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Inderscience Enterprises Limited
  • ISSN: 1479-3105
  • EISSN: 1479-3113
  • Serial URL: http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=ijvs

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle helmets; Cyclists; Experiments; Mathematical models; Pedestrians; Protective clothing; Safety; Simulation; Testing; Two wheeled vehicles
• Identifier Terms: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Head Injury Criterion; LS-DYNA (Computer program)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Head injuries; Head protection; Headform; Hybrid III headform; Paddings
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01045388
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 14 2007 11:44AM