In this study, the United Kingdom in-depth data, describing the causation of injuries to casualties in side impacts, was examined for crashes occurring between 1992 and 1998. Slightly more casualties died in side impacts than in frontal crashes, and one third were seated on the side away from the collision. The collision severity was compared with the European and United States legal test procedures and most Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 3+ survivors were observed to be in crashes above the severity of the test. The mean delta V (velocity change) for the fatal group was 48 km/h compared with typically 25 km/h in the test. The most commonly injured body regions of both survivors and fatalities were the head, thorax, and lower extremity. The lower extremity was the most frequent site of AIS 2+ injuries of survivors and fractures to the femur and tibia were highlighted, these injuries are not assessed by existing dummies. (A)
Samenvatting