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“Smart” restraint systems are being researched and developed. However, whilst technology can ultimately be produced that will give rise to adaptive restraint systems, injury research is necessary in order to identify and quantify the most important occupant characteristics. This is necessary to ensure that future adaptive restraint systems are optimised. 12,605 car occupant records from phases 4 and 5 of the UK Co-operative Crash Injury Study (CCIS) were analysed to establish the injury potential for front seat occupants in both frontal and side impacts. Casualties were grouped by gender, seating position and injury severity, with the latter measured in relation to the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS). Data from a further 4,758 accidents contained within a Fatals database was also incorporated into the analysis.

Pedestrian impacts currently account for over 900 deaths and over 40,000 casualties each year in Britain. The chance of death or serious long-term disability increases greatly with impact speed. At 20mile/h (32km/h) the probability of killing or seriously injuring a child is 20%, but this rises to 80% at 40mile/h (64 km/h). Advanced Active Adaptive Secondary Safety systems were studied, which comprised sensors to identify a pedestrian within the vicinity of a vehicle and determine the likelihood of an impact and airbags fitted to various parts of the vehicle front to protect the pedestrian in an impact. The research comprised modelling in MADYMO followed by impact testing. Sensor systems were investigated in parallel. Impacts between a 50th percentile adult dummy and a saloon car and a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) were simulated in MADYMO at two impact velocities; 25mile/h (40km/h) and 30mile/h (48km/h).

A significant cause of serious injury in motorcycle accidents is the rider's leg being trapped between the motorcycle and the object with which it has collided. Leg protecting fairings can greatly reduce such injury but they can also alter the overall motion of the motorcycle during and after the impact. It is obviously important to ensure that any such change in motion does not of itself increase the risk of injury. Simple, three-dimensional computer models are described which simulate the whole-body motions of motorcycles crashing into flat, vertical, rigid barriers at angles ranging from tangential to head-on. These models are intended for parametric studies but this paper concentrates on broad patterns of behaviour and no attempt is made to discuss parameter variations in detail. The models are described briefly and some typical qualitative results are presented.

The Transport and Road Research Laboratory has previously reported on research which shows that leg protection for motorcyclists can be designed which will be of benefit to the legs without detriment to the head. It has also been shown that the United Kingdom draft specification on leg protection can be successfully applied to a large tourina machine. This report describes the application of leg protection to a sports motorcycle Kawasaki GPZ 500S. Also described is a dummy leg fitted with bakelite to represent the upper and lower leg bones. The impact configurations (similar to those used in previous research), equipment and test procedures are described. The purpose of the test series was twofold. First, to show the effect of leg protection, designed and tested to the U.K draft specification, on the potential leg and head injuries when fitted to a sports motorcycle.

The problem of motorcycle rider injuries in frontal impacts is discussed in relation to the trajectory of the rider. Possible methods for reducing injury severity are also considered. A system is described that provides partial restraint to the rider in frontal impact and is combined with devices intended to reduce rider injury in other accident situations. Results are given of checks on this system by means of tests on a dynamic impact rig and in controlled vehicle-to-vehicle impacts.