To examine the relationship of occupant compartment intrusion and lower leg injuries, 17 new 1994-1996 midsize sedans representing 15 different models were crashed at 40mph (64.4 km/h) into a stationary deformable barrier with 40 percent of the car's front width overlapping the barrier. A Hybrid III 50th percentile adult male dummy was positioned in the driver seat of each of these air bag equipped vehicles and restrained by the lap and shoulder belt. In addition to the usual head, chest, and femur instrumentation, the dummies were also equipped with instrumented lower legs and two accelerometers on each foot. Significant correlations with measures of intrusion were observed for all loads measured on the left leg. The right leg loads had fewer significant correlations, but the data from the distal tibia indicate a general trend of higher loads in crashes with more intrusion. Right proximal tibia bending moment and index were significantly correlated with maximum measures of intrusion, if not with the intrusion of specific nearby structures. (A)
Abstract