For the purpose of reproducing complex vehicle-pedestrian interactions using a simplified and standardized vehicle model, a previous study has developed a computational model for a generic buck to reproduce car-small sedan interaction using a standardized vehicle front model. Although the previous study validated the buck model using a finite element (FE) model for a pedestrian dummy in terms of pedestrian kinematics and vehicle-pedestrian contact forces, the buck structure has not been further validated with regard to responses of injury measures against a more biofidelic tool such as a human FE model.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the buck model representing a small sedan developed in the previous study (Untaroiu et al., ESV 2009) against a human FE model in terms of pedestrian kinematics and injury measures from comparisons between the buck and full vehicle models.

A human FE model developed by Takahashi et al. (IRCOBI 2010) was used in the current study. For the purpose of validating the buck model, an FE vehicle model representing the same small sedan was also used for comparisons. The pedestrian model was hit by the center of both vehicle models laterally at a baseline impact velocity of 40 km/h used by the previous study. In order to evaluate robustness of the buck model against impact velocity, impact simulations were performed at 20 and 60 km/h as well.

The results of the comparisons showed that the pedestrian kinematics and values of injury parameters were generally well reproduced by the buck model compared to the vehicle model. It was also found that for enhanced representation of the responses of injury measures to the pelvis and lower limb, some modifications to the buck components are suggested in terms of geometry, material property and structure.