The present studies treating the passive protection of pedestrians struck by passenger cars are based on accident study files dating back 10 to 15 years, However, the design of these cars has considerably changed since these enquiries and it may be supposed that the new profile of cars which characterise the present-day parc have an influence on the kinematics of the pedestrians, and also, clearly, on the frequency of lesions to the different parts of the body. The aim of this new study is therefore: to obtain a more up-to-date picture of the real-world crashes by analyzing collisions which involved cars designed recently (marketed after 1989); to compare this survey to the similar one conducted by the LAB at the end of the 1970's to assess the injury risk evolution. (A)
Abstract