The goal of this study was to evaluate side impact crash conditions using a detailed human body model and side impact crash model to provide an improved understanding of side impact injury and the primary contributing factors. This study builds on an advanced numerical human body model, including a detailed thorax, which has been validated using available PMHS test data for pendulum and side sled impact tests. Crash conditions were investigated through use of a coupled side impact model, used to reproduce full scale crash tests. The model accounts for several important factors that contribute to occupant response as noted in the literature:​ the relative velocities between the seat and door, the occupant to door distance, the door shape and compliance. The coupled side impact model was validated using FMVSS 214 and IIHS side impact test data, comparing the thoracic response predicted by the model to that of the ES-2 dummy used in the crash tests. Importantly, the door and seat models were developed based on experimental data in the literature.

The side impact model was used to investigate the effects of door to occupant spacing, door velocity profile, restraint system, and seat foam properties. The current study was limited to the use of velocity profiles in the direction of impact and did not consider rotational effects or motion perpendicular to the impact direction. It was found that injury as predicted using the detailed human body model and the Viscous Criterion (VC) was controlled by the second velocity peak typically found in door velocity profiles.