Real-world rear impacts reconstructed in sled tests

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Linder, Astrid^1,2; Avery, Matthew¹; Kullgren, Anders³; Krafft, Maria³

Real-world rear impacts reconstructed in sled tests

Proceedings of the 2004 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact

Affiliations

¹The Motor Insurance Repair Centre, Thatcham, United Kingdom

²Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), Australia

³Folksam Research, Sweden
Abstract and keywords

The risk of soft tissue neck injuries as a result of rear impacts is influenced by both vehicle specific features and the impact severity of the crash. Links between real-world neck injury symptoms and dummy readings as well as neck injury criteria obtained from crash test dummies needs to establish for test methods that evaluate protection against theses injuries.

This study identifies average values of neck injury criteria and dummy readings that correspond to the risk of an adult sustaining soft tissue Neck Injury Symptoms (NIS) persisting for more than one month (NIS>1). Of the real-world crashes in the Folksam database, 25 were selected according to risk levels of NIS>1 associated with mean acceleration intervals: 0% risk and 0-3 g; 0-15% risk and 3-4.5 g; 15-60% risk and 4.5-6 g. The acceleration pulses from the vehicles were reproduced in detail on a sled with a dummy in the same type of seats as in the impacted vehicles.

Various levels of NIC, Nkm, forces from the upper neck load cell and T1 x-acceleration corresponded to the average risk levels of NIS>1 in each interval; 0%, 10% and 30%. The results provide a link between real-world NIS>1 and average dummy readings as well as neck injury criteria obtained from a crash test dummy in sled tests.

Keywords: Whiplash; Rear impact; Real-world crashes; Sled tests; Injury criteria

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Cited By (16)

Year	Entry
2005	Hynd D, van Ratingen M. Challenges in the development of a regulatory test procedure for neck protection in rear impacts: status of the EEVC WG20 and WG12 joint activity. In: Proceedings of the 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 6-9, 2005; Washington, DC.
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2005	Cappon H, Hell W, Hoschopf H, Muser M, Song E, Wismans J. Correlation of accident statistics to whiplash performance parameters using the RID3D and BioRID dummy. In: Proceedings of the 2005 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 21-23, 2005; Prague, Czech Republic.229-243.
2008	Kullgren A. Dose-response models and edr data for assessment of injury risk and effectiveness of safety systems. In: Proceedings of the 2008 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 17-19, 2008; Bern, Switzerland.3-14.
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2010	Carlsson A, Siegmund GP, Linder A, Svensson M. Motion of the head and neck of female and male volunteers in rear impact car-to-car tests at 4 and 8 km/h. In: Proceedings of the 2010 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 15-17, 2010; Hannover, Germany.29-39.
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2023	Edwards MA, Brumbelow ML. Relationship of whiplash injury metrics and crash pulse severity to injury claim rates. In: Proceedings of the 2023 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 13-165, 2023; Cambridge, United Kingdom.542-556.
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2011	Carlsson A, Linder A, Davidsson J, Hell W, Schick S, Svensson M. Dynamic kinematic responses of female volunteers in rear impacts and comparison to previous male volunteer tests. Traffic Inj Prev. 2011;12(4):347-357.
2012	Carlsson A. Addressing Female Whiplash Injury Protection: A Step Towards 50th Percentile Female Rear Impact Occupant Models [PhD thesis]. Gothenburg, Sweden: Chalmers University of Technology; 2012.
2020	Fagerström J. Rear End Crash Simulation Using Human Body Models: An Investigation of the Design of Seat Structure Using a 50th Percentile Female Human Body Model [Master's thesis]. Luleå, Sweden: Luleå University of Technology; 2020.