A study sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1981 showed that the most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries of the chest and head. In this context, the present paper focuses on the use of the numerical simulation to predict rib fractures in case of motorcycle accidents and to evaluate a new safety system, i.e. an airbag integrated in the jacket. Different simulations were performed, with and without airbag, according to experimental tests (pendulum subsystem tests with post-mortem human subjects (PMHS)) to evaluate the influence of various parameters. For each configuration test, we analysed the load versus time curve of the pendulum and performed an injury report to evaluate ribs fractures. Concerning the airbag system, the study showed that this type of protection increases motorcyclist's security. Indeed, for each simulations test, performed with airbag, no injuries were noted when the airbag was used. (Author/publisher)
Abstract