Investigating the effects of side airbag deployment in real-world crashes using crash comparison techniques

Loftis, Kathryn L.; Weaver, Ashley A.; Stitzel, Joel D.

Affiliations

¹Virginia Tech — Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate side airbag (SAB) deployment in near side crashes and compare injuries and contact points between occupants with and without SAB deployment. Using NASS 2000-2008 and selecting for near side cases, with PDOF ± 20 degrees from 90 or 270, for non-pregnant adult belted occupants, there were 20,253 (weighted) SAB deployments. NASS showed that SABs have been increasing within the fleet, comprising 2% of airbags in 2000 and increasing to 33% of airbags in 2008. To investigate deployed SABs, we developed a three-step methology to pair CIREN cases to study the effects of deployment on occupant outcome. The first step involved extracting near side impacts from CIREN with adult, non-pregnant occupants seated in row 1 (drivers or right front passengers). In the second step, each case was quantitatively compared to FMVSS 214 barrier test standards using a 6 point similarity scoring system. Cases scoring at least 3 points were then qualitatively analyzed and 33 pairs of cases of the same vehicle make/model but opposite SAB status were chosen. Occupants with deployed SAB had reduced occurrences and severity of head and face, neck and cervical spine, and thoracic injuries and fewer injurious contacts to side components including the door, a-pillar, and window sill. SAB deployment was statistically significant for reducing occupant MAIS and ISS and thorax airbags were statistically significant for reducing thoracic and neck/cervical spine injury severity. The average ISS with SAB deployment was 21, while the average ISS of those without was 33. This study establishes methods for performing comparisons between CIREN cases based on regulatory conditions and shows injury reduction in key body regions with SAB deployment.

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Cited By (6)

Year	Entry
2015	Davis ML, Vavalle NA, Gayzik FS. An evaluation of mass-normalization using 50th and 95th percentile human body finite element models in frontal crash. In: Proceedings of the 2015 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 9-11, 2015; Lyon, France.608-621.
2018	Gierczycka D. Investigation of Thorax Response and Potential for Injury in Side Impacts Using Integrated Detailed Human and Vehicle Finite-Element Models [PhD thesis]. Waterloo, ON: University of Waterloo; 2018.
2013	Howes MK. Injury Mechanisms, Tissue Properties, and Response of the Post-Mortem Human Abdomen in Frontal Impact [PhD thesis]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; 2013.
2015	Gaewsky J. Driver Injury Metric and Risk Variability as a Function of Occupant Position in Real World Motor Vehicle Crashes [Master's thesis]. Winston-Salem, NC: Wake Forest University; May 2015.
2015	Vavalle NA. The Application of a Radial Basis Function Morphing Technique to a Validated Full Human Body Finite Element Model [PhD thesis]. Winston-Salem, NC: Wake Forest University; May 2015.
2017	Davis ML. Development and Full Body Validation of a 5th Percentile Female Finite Element Model [PhD thesis]. Winston-Salem, NC: Wake Forest University; January 2017.