In the Netherlands, annually about 185 cyclists are killed in road accidents. Half of this number results from a collision with a passenger car. Furthermore, the annual number of pedestrian fatalities in the Netherlands is about 65 in the last years. The number of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities has remained constant over recent years, while the total number of road accident fatalities shows a clear decreasing trend. In projects commissioned by the Dutch Cyclists' Union and the Dutch Ministry of Transport, TNO investigated the specific properties of collisions between cars and cyclists and what measures can be incorporated in the car to increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. These most promising measures are: Systems for automatic braking or brake assistance; An airbag that covers the car's windshield, to protect against harsh head impacts. This report describes phase 1 of a project. The current project is commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Transport. Overall objective of the project is a prototype airbag system -evaluated according to the Beyond NCAP protocols of Euro NCAP- which is available in 2012. The main goal of phase 1 of the project is to set-up specifications for the development and evaluation of a Vuinerable Road Users (VRU) airbag, including sensor system, that protects pedestrians and cyclists. (Author/publisher)
Abstract