This paper describes the development of a mathematical crash victim simulation model (MADYMO based) used to predict the characteristics of the head impact in real pedestrian accidents. The model forms the connection between the accident circumstances and a detailed analysis of the head injuries in selected fatal pedestrian accidents. These accidents are being investigated as part of an ongoing project into the mechanisms of head injury in road accidents.

The pedestrian model is based on a combination of measurements taken at autopsy and estimation from published data to describe the anthropometry of the victim. Available human and cadaver data are used for the contact stiffnesses and joint characteristics.

A comparison between the model predictions and the results of a series of pedestrian accident reconstructions using cadavers is made. The comparison demonstrates that this relatively simple two dimensional simulation can reliably predict the timing, position and velocity of the pedestrian head impact. Some limitations of the model are discussed.