In the seventies injuries of the lower extremities were frequently observed in serious frontal collisions. Although these injuries were not perilous, there were dramatic personal and financial consequences. In the late seventies Mercedes-Benz introduced an offset crash test procedure for the development of new car lines. In view of the poor biofidelity of the dummies' lower legs and the lack of knowledge about human tolerances in this body region at that time, as a first step critical load values were determined in volunteer tests. These values have been checked in crash tests with modified dummies and are still valid today, as a comparison with the latest biomechanical research in this field shows. Various safety measures were then incorporated in all new Mercedes-Benz car lines in the eighties and have considerably reduced the risk of foot injuries particularly in frontal offset collisions. This reduction can now be proven by a comparison of the results from the analysis of real world accidents over the last two decades. In addition, the findings show new priorities for future safety measures and the need for an improvement of the test procedure resulting in offset crash tests against a deformable barrier. (A)
Abstract