Expected belt-specific injury patterns dependent on the angle of impact

Abstract

A SERIES OF DUMMY-CRASHES IS BEING INVESTIGATED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FORECASTS OF INJURY PATTERNS TO BE EXPECTED IN ACCIDENTS WHERE SAFETY BELTS ARE WORN. IN THE CASE OF A 90 DEG FRONTAL IMPACT, CORRELATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVED TO EXIST BETWEEN THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE DUMMY IN A LABORATORY CRASH AND THE INJURY PATTERNS RELATED TO THE WEARING OF SAFETY BELTS WHICH ARE TO BE FOUND IN ACCIDENT STATISTICS. THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE THE INFLUENCE OF THE ANGLE OF IMPACT ON THE INJURY PATTERNS TO BE EXPECTED AMONGST SAFETY-BELT WEARERS. IN THE DUMMY CRASHES THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS VARIED FROM 20 DEG TO A MAXIMUM OF 56 DEG TOWARDS THE FRONT AND TESTED, FILMED AT HIGH SPEED AND MEASURED, ALL FOR TWO DIFFERENT SPEEDS (V1 = 38.5 KM/H AND V2 = 47 KM/H). UP TO AN ANGLE OF IMPACT OF 40 DEG THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES TO BE OBSERVED IN THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE DUMMY WHEN COMPARED TO A FRONTAL CRASH. THE SAME CAN BE PREDICTED FOR THE INJURY PATTERNS TO BE EXPECTED IN A REAL ACCIDENT. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 307340.