LEG INJURIES IN CAR-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS WERE ANALYSED AND CORRELATED TO THE SPEED, THE BUMPER LEVEL AND THE INCLINATION OF THE CAR FRONT. THE INJURY MECHANISMS, NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS IN THESE ACCIDENTS, WERE STUDIED EXPERIMENTALLY WITH A BIOMECHANICAL IMPACT SYSTEM USING HUMAN LEG SPECIMENS AND A MECHANICAL LEG MODEL. THE RESULTS FROM THESE STUDIES SHOWED A HIGH INJURY POTENTIAL OF A BUMPER IMPACTING AT OR JUST BELOW THE KNEE LEVEL AND OF A PROMINENT BONNET EDGE. THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES INDICATED A POSSIBLE WAY TO MITIGATE THE INJURY SEVERITY OF THE IMPACTED LOWER EXTREMITY. A SMOOTH, COMPLIANT, FORCE-LIMITING AND ENERGY-ABSORBING IMPACT ZONE WITH THE VERTEX OF THE FRONT PROFILE AT 35 CM ABOVE THE GROUND AND A 60 DEGREES MAXIMUM FRONT INCLINATION ANGLE ARE PROPOSED TO LOWER THE RISK FOR SERIOUS LEG INJURIES AND PERMANENT WALKING IMPAIRMENT IN PEDESTRIANS IN THIS TYPE OF ACCIDENT.(A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Samenvatting