To access biomechanical neck loading associated with whiplash-associated injuries in low speed rear-end impact tests, three different types of dummies exist today, i.e. the conventional Hybrid III frontal impact dummy equipped with a special neck (TRID), the BioRID, and the RID2. The latter two are dummies specially designed for low severity rear-end impact. The objective of the study is to compare the performance of different seats using these three dummies in low speed rear-end impact sled tests. The dummy measurements are interpreted using the following performance criteria: NIC, neck moments and shear forces, Nkm values, and the dummy rebound velocity. The NIC values produced by the HIII(TRID) are in general significantly lower compared to the BioRID and the RID2. Some seats however show lower NIC values with the BioRID than with the HIII(TRID), a phenomenon which can be explained with a particular design of the seat back. The comparison between BioRID and RID2 shows comparable NIC values, whereas neck moments and forces tend to be higher with the RID2 but are in good correlation with the values measured for the BioRID. Both dummies show comparable rebound speeds. It is assumed that seat ratings performed using these two dummy types yield a similar ranking. Furthermore, it can also be expected that seat system optimisations performed using one dummy will also yield improved results when tested with the other one. For the covering abstract see ITRD E121180.
Abstract