This paper examines injuries and injury mechanisms in side impact crashes being addressed by the United States standard, FMVSS 214. In this side impact protection standard, a moving deformable barrier impacts the occupant compartment of a vehicle being tested. The moving barrier is crabbed at an angle of 23 degrees measured relative to the side of the struck vehicle. The standard assesses the crash protection provided in a vehicle-to-vehicle crash to an occupant seated on the struck side, in the vicinity of the maximum intrusion. The National Automobile Sampling System/Crashworthiness Database System (NASS/CDS) data indicates that 75% AIS 3+ injuries occur in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes, 66% occur to the struck side occupants and 94% occur in crashes with damage to the occupant compartment. Crash directions of 10 and 2 o'clock are the most common injury producing crashes. In vehicle-to-vehicle side crashes examined in this study, the most frequent seriously injured (AIS 3+) body regions in the NASS/CDS 1988/1996 database were: chest/abdomen - 49%; head/face - 24%, pelvic/lower extremity - 14%; and neck/spine - 4%. (A)
Samenvatting