Design and structure of the windscreen as part of injury reduction for car occupants, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The objectives of this study were: (1) to analyze the injury risk of the windscreen pane; (2) to consider means for an injury reduction by an optimized structure and angle of the windscreen pane; and (3) to give demands for the vehicle construction. Accident documentations from the German Medical University of Hannover Accident Research Unit in-depth investigations were analyzed. Seventy-one belt-protected front-seat passengers and 192 pedestrians and cyclists respectively who suffered injuries by impact to the windscreen pane in frontal collisions were investigated. For car front occupants with belt protection 3% of head-impact situations to windscreen panes is due to the fact that the seat belt, that the seat belt, on principle prevents a forward-moving to this region. For pedestrians and cyclists, an impact to the region of the windscreen pane produces frequently head injuries in 13% of the cases. It can be concluded that the localisation of the impact point of the head on the pane is of importance for the injury severity. An impact to the center of the pane surface at distance from the frame region shows a lower injury risk. The inclination angle of the pane in relatively flat position shows a lower injury severity to the head.