Estimation of fatalities and disabilities in car to car side impacts: an evaluation of different risk factors

wbldb

Haland, Yngve¹; Lovsund, Per²; Nygren, Ake³

Estimation of fatalities and disabilities in car to car side impacts: an evaluation of different risk factors

34th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM)

Affiliations

¹Electrolux Autoliv AB, Vargarda, Sweden

²Chalmers Univ. of Techn., Goteborg, Sweden

³Folksam Insurance Company, Stockholm, Sweden
Abstract

Improvement to the passive safety of cars in lateral collisions is of great importance. This study of injuries in car side collisions in Sweden has been performed to establish the basis for future development of protective systems for this type of accident. The Folksam car accident data file has been used.

Injuries were found to be 2 times more common for near side than far side1 occupants in car to car impacts.

AIS 3-6 injuries to belted front seat occupants in near side impacts (10% of all injuries) were compared with the estimated number of injuries to different parts of the body with risk of serious consequenses (RSC) either deaths or permanent disabilities (4.5% of all injuries). AIS 3-6 injuries were received by the chest (37%), abdomen/pelvis (25%) and the head (15%). The RSC method gave a different ranking order; head (25%), neck (21%), leg (15%), chest (14%) and abdomen/pelvis (11%).

The study also shows that elderly people receive significantly more chest injuries, on average 4 times greater than young people.

Males receive twice as many chest injuries as females in near side impacts.

Cited Works (15)

Year	Entry
1987	Harms PL, Renouf M, Thomas PD, Bradford M. Injuries to restrained car occupants: what are the outstanding problems? In: Proceedings of the 11th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). May 12-15, 1987; Washington, DC.183-201.
1980	Hobbs CA. Car occupant injury patterns and mechanisms. In: Proceedings of the 8th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). October 21-24, 1980; Wolfsburg, Germany.755-768.
1985	Rouhana SW, Foster ME. Lateral impact: an analysis of the statistics in the NCSS. In: Proceedings of the 29th Stapp Car Crash Conference. October 9-11, 1985; Washington, DC. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:79-98. SAE 851727.
1976	Hartemann F, Thomas C, Foret Bruno JY, Henry C, Fayon A, Tarriere C, Got C, Patel A. Description of lateral impacts. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). October 12-15, 1976; Washington, D.C.541-.
1982	Jones IS. Injury severity versus crash severity for front seat car occupants involved in front and side impacts. In: 26th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 4-6, 1982; Ottawa, ON.17-35.
1987	Thomas C, Henry C, Harteman F, Patel A, Got C. Injury pattern and parameters to assess severity for occupants involved in car-to-car lateral impacts. In: Proceedings of the 11th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). May 12-15, 1987; Washington, DC.49-61.
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.
1983	Nygren Å. Injuries to car occupants: some aspects of the interior safety of cars: a study of a five-year material from an insurance company. Acta Oto-Laryngol. 1983;95(suppl 395):1-135.
1986	Friedel B, Marburger EA. Belt usage rates in the Federal Republic of Germany and their medical consequences. In: 30th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 6, 1986; Montreal, QC.397-405.
1989	Viano DC, Culver CC, Evans L, Frick M, Scott R. Involvement of older drivers in multi-vehicle side impact crashes. In: 33rd Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 2-4, 1989; Baltimore, MD.337-352.
1985	Gustafsson H, Nygren A, Tingvall C. Rating system for serious consequences (RSC) due to traffic accidents: risk of death or permanent disability. In: Proceedings of the 10th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). July 1-4, 1985; Oxford, England.556-560. SAE 856075.
1984	Otte D, Suren E-G, Appel H, Nehmzow J. Vehicle parts causing injuries to front-seat car passengers in lateral impact. In: Proceedings of the 28th Stapp Car Crash Conference. November 6-7, 1984; Chicago, IL. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:13-24. SAE 841651.
1977	Appel H, Hofmann J. Accident analyses of vehicle side collisions. In: Proceedings of the 1977 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 7-9, 1977; Berlin, Germany.251-269.
1980	The Abbreviated Injury Scale 1980 Revision. Morton Grove, IL: Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM); 1980.
1990	States JD, Viano DC. Injury impairment and disability scales to assess the permanent consequences of trauma. Accid Anal Prev. April 1990;22(2):151-159.

Cited By (9)

Year	Entry
1992	Sjogren H, Bjornstig U, Eriksson A, Sonntag-Ostrom E, Ostrom M. Elderly in the traffic environment: analysis of fatal crashes in northern Sweden. In: 36th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 5-7, 1992; Portland, OR.347-367.
1992	v Koch M, Korner J, Norin H, Nygren A, Tingvall C. Injury severity assessment for car occupants using disability scaling. In: 36th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 5-7, 1992; Portland, OR.251-268.
1993	Sjögren H, Björnstig U, Eriksson A, Östrom M. Differences between older and younger drivers: characteristics of fatal car crashes and driver injuries. In: 37th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). November 4-6, 1993; San Antonio, TX.237-253.
2006	Pintar FA, Yoganandan N, Stemper BD, Bostrom O, Rouhana SW, Smith S, Sparke L, Fildes BN, Digges KH. WorldSID assessment of far side impact countermeasures. In: 50th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 16-18, 2006; Chicago, IL.199-219.
1991	Kamrén B, Kullgren A, Lie A, Sköld B-Å, Tingvall C. Side protection and child restraints: accident data and laboratory test including new test methods. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). November 4-7, 1991; Paris, France.341-345.
1991	Håland Y, Pipkorn B. The protective effect of airbags and padding in side impacts: evaluation by a new subsystem test method. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles (ESV). November 4-7, 1991; Paris, France.523-533.
1993	Håland Y, Pipkorn B. A parametric study of a side airbag system to meet deflection based criteria. In: Proceedings of the 1993 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 8-10, 1993; Eindhoven, The Netherlands.339-353.
2007	Pintar FA, Yoganandan N, Stemper BD, Bostrom O, Rouhana SW, Digges KH, Fildes BN. Comparison of PMHS, WorldSID, and THOR-NT responses in simulated far side impact. Stapp Car Crash J. 2007;51:313-360. SAE 2007-22-0014.
1997	Winkelstein BA, Myers BS. The biomechanics of cervical spine injury and implications for injury prevention. Med Sci Sports Exer. July 1997;29(suppl 7):S246-S255.