Experimental research on truck driver's safety in frontal collision

Sukegawa, Yoshihiro; Matsukawa, Fujio; Masuda, Naoki

Affiliations

²Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc., Japan

Abstract

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc. (JAMA) has been working to promote crash safety measures and to evaluate the crash safety performance of heavy-duty trucks. The Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) has been studying these issues at the request of JAMA. “The Guidelines for Frontal Crash Test of Heavy-duty Trucks” were formulated as a first step1). Furthermore, crash tests of the latest heavy-duty trucks based on the guidelines were conducted. Equipped with the latest safety systems, each truck met all the judgments of the guidelines.

For further improvement of safety performance, it is necessary to study the specific causes of truck occupant injuries. Numerous truck driver fatalities have been caused in Japan by frontal collisions, in which the truck driver is often injured in the chest and the abdomen by the steering wheel. However, no evaluation techniques for such chest and abdominal injuries have yet been established. Moreover, truck drivers are often trapped in the truck cab in collisions.

Therefore, JARI has started evaluation of chest and abdominal injuries. Improvements in rescue performance were also studied beginning in 1999. Attempts were made in such injuries to measure the deflection of the sternum in more detail. Better rescue performance was examined by interviews with rescue teams.

Links

URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/Esv/esv17/Proceed/00099.pdf

Cited Works (4)

Year	Entry
1993	Cavanaugh JM. Biomechanics of thoracic trauma. In: Nahum AM, Melvin JW, eds. Accidental Injury: Biomechanics and Prevention. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; 1993:362-390.
1998	Sukegawa Y, Matsukawa F, Kuboike T, Oki M. Heavy duty vehicle crash test method in Japan. In: Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 31–June 4, 1998; Windsor, Ontario, Canada.892-898.
1986	Lau IV, Viano DC. The viscous criterion: bases and applications of an injury severity index for soft tissues. In: Proceedings of the 30th Stapp Car Crash Conference. October 27-29, 1986; San Diego, CA. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:123-142. SAE 861882.
1998	Kuppa SM, Eppinger RH. Development of an improved thoracic injury criterion. In: Proceedings of the 42nd Stapp Car Crash Conference. November 2-4, 1998; Tempa, AZ. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:139-153. SAE 983153.

Cited By (3)

Year	Entry
2003	Svenson AL, Krishnaswami V, Blower D. An analysis of heavy truck occupant protection measures. In: Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 19-22, 2003; Nagoya, Japan.
2010	Holmqvist K, Svensson MY, Thorn S, Brolin K, Davidsson J. Challenges in steering wheel rim to thorax impacts using finite element Hybrid III and human body models for heavy vehicle frontal crash applications. In: Proceedings of the 2010 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 15-17, 2010; Hannover, Germany.293-296.
2019	Malczyk A, Koch M. Injuries to heavy truck occupants: severity, patterns and causation. In: Proceedings of the 2019 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 11-13, 2019; Florence, Italy.588-601.