Prediction of lower extremity injury risks during an impact on modern car fronts with a flexible pedestrian legform impactor and the pedestrian legform impactor according to EEVC WG 17

Zander, Oliver; Lorenz, Bernd; Gehring, Dirk-Uwe; Leßmann, Peter

A legform impactor with biofidelic characteristics (FlexPLI) which is being developed by the Japanese Automobile Research Institute (JARI) is being considered as a test tool for legislation within a proposed Global Technical Regulation on pedestrian protection (UNECE, 2006) and therefore being evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Group (TEG) of GRSP. In previous built levels it already showed good test results on real cars as well as under idealised test conditions but also revealed further need for improvement.

A research study at the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) deals with the question on how leg injury risks of modern car fronts can be revealed, reflected and assessed by the FlexPLI and how the impactor can be used and implemented as a legislative instrument for the type approval of cars according to current and future legislations on pedestrian protection. The latest impactor built level (GTα) is being evaluated by a general review and assessment of the certification procedure, the knee joint biofidelity and the currently proposed injury criteria. Furthermore, the usability, robustness and durability as a test tool for legislation is examined and an assessment of leg injuries is made by a series of tests with the FlexPLI on real cars with modern car front shapes as well as under idealised test conditions. Finally, a comparison is made between the FlexPLI and the current european legislation tool, the legform impactor according to EEVC WG 17.

Year

Entry

2005

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1998

EEVC Working Group 17 Report: Improved Test Methods to Evaluate Pedestrian Protection Afforded by Passenger Cars. European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee (EEVC); 1998.

2000

Nakahira Y, Furukawa K, Niimi H, Ishihara T, Miki K, Matsuoka F. A combined evaluation method and a modified maximum likelihood method for injury risk curves. In: Proceedings of the 2000 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 20-22, 2000; Montpellier, France.147-155.

2001

Konosu A, Ishikawa H, Tanahashi M. Reconsideration of injury criteria for pedestrian subsystem legform test: problems of rigid legform impactor. In: Proceedings of the 17th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 4-7, 2001; Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

2004

Ivarsson J, Lessley D, Kerrigan J, Bhalla K, Bose D, Crandall J, Kent R. Dynamic response corridors and injury thresholds of the pedestrian lower extremities. In: Proceedings of the 2004 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 22-24, 2004; Graz, Austria.179-191.