Pedestrians generally represent a significant group of traffic fatalities in most regions of the world, although the proportion varies according to the degree of motorisation and the mix of vehicle types. Early studies suggested the most commonly injured body regions in pedestrians were leg and head; pelvic injury has also been significant. With pedestrian incidents,the initial impact with the vehicle and the subsequent impact with the road have to be taken into account; current crash data suggests the vehicle impact causes greater injury. The use of dummies is not always completely representative in tests, so other tools and assessment procedures need to be devised and developed. Areas for further knowledge include post-EC Directive research, developing an understanding of pre-crash and crash events;increased understanding of the interaction between vulnerable road users and front structures of vehicles regarding secondary road impacts; research into the biomechanics of pedestrian impacts with trucks and buses; and improved knowledge on the biomechanics of pedestrian protection.
Samenvatting