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Neck injuries resulting from rear-end collisions rank among the top car safety problems and have serious implications for society. Many rear impact sled experiments with volunteers and PMHSs have been performed in the past. However, in most of these studies, T1 kinematics were not obtained so that the kinematic behavior of the neck could not be separated from the motion of the rest of the spine. Also, to the best knowledge of the authors, the effect of anthropometric parameters on the head-neck kinematics was not studied before. The objective of this study is to describe the kinematic response of the head-neck system during low severity rear end impacts. In addition, the effect of anthropometric parameters such as height, weight and neck circumference was investigated. For this purpose, a total of 43 tests with 19 subjects was performed. Values for Δv ranged between 6.5 and 9.5 km/h.

In the ISOITC221SC 121WG 1 “Child Restraint Systems” an ad-hoc group was created to develop a test standard for side impact protection for children in child seats. This paper shortly sumniarizes the ongoing experience and activities of this ad hoc group, which started in 1993 with an international inquiry at accident research units. Up to now a total database of 139 side impacts with MAIS 2+ injured 0-12 year old children has been analyzed. Focussed on accident investigation, a draft proposal for lateral child impact test standard conditions is being developed. One of the major tasks is to simulate the door intrusion effect, especially where the struck-side sitting child is involved. The paper describes new single-sled test experiments to simulate the door intrusion effect by a hinged door with impactor and a hinged door with mass-spring impact system. Suggestions for further work with side impact test procedures will be included.

The compulsory use of child restraint systems (CRS) in cars which came into force on 1st April 1993 led to a considerable increase in the belting rate of children in Germany, but between 30% and nearly 60% of the children aged 0<12 years are only restrained by an adult belt (lap or three-point belt). On the basis of a new accident material of the German Motor Insurers (593 restrained children 0 to 12 years involved in 448 car accidents) the injury risk of children being belted with an adult belt only is compared to those injury risks of children being restrained in different types of CRS (415-point belt, 3-point belt, impact shield, booster cushion). The form of restraint „child with an adult belt only” involves disproportionately high risks. In retrospective accident studies it is relatively difficult to get detailed information about the frequency and the exact kind of CRS misuse. Therefore 250 users of CRS were observed and interviewed.

Within the ISO/TC22/SC12/WG1 „Child Restraint Systems” an ad-hoc group was founded to develop a test standard for side impact protection for children in child seats. Within this task an international database of accidents with MAIS 2+ injured children has been established. This material, from 10 research institutes, compiling a total database of 139 side impacts of children from 0-12 years, has been analyzed. From this sample a selected database with 69 cases has been assembled, where cases with misuse, ejection and catastrophic intrusions have been excluded to focus on accidents with correct working restraint systems. A detailed description of the selected accidents is given. For children sitting in a CRS, severe to critical injuries were observed mostly for head and cervical-spine, whereas 2/3- point belted children showed a higher incidence of thorax and abdominal injuries.

On the basis of extensive representative traffic accident material (car-to-car and single car accidents) the focal points of real-life accidents were ascertained. The different accident configurations were classified into collision types, and the order of importance was determined according to the frequency of occurrence and the injuries which resulted- In the light of the distribution function of vehicle mass and collision speed, boundary and reference values of a “substitute accident system” were ascertained from real-life accidents. Extensive and detailed studies of accident and car parameters were necessary to provide realistic conditions for the crash tests. The dummy loading values measured in the crash test or calculated by means of a simulation model were compared with real-life injuries in the appropriate mass and speed class.

Technical safety measures call for detailed knowledge of how accidents occur. Accidents involving two-wheel vehicles pose particular problems in describing the course of the accident and injury severity as well as ascertaining the causes. Using material covering approximately 3,500 accidents with motorized two-wheelers, a realistic classification system is explained and problems of the different two-wheel categories are shown in this paper. Experimental and mathematical simulations of the main accident type lead to some suggestions on how to change the motorcycle by adding some safety elements to reduce the injury risk of the driver. A safety motorcycle is introduced that can improve, in a positive way, the flight path of the driver after an impact without being unrealistic.

The high level of protection afforded by the safety belt has been proved in the past beyond doubt. The results of national and international studies of its effectiveness are given. The possible relative reduction of the frequency of injuries to different parts of the body is pointed out. These reduction quotas are derived by means of direct comparison from equivalent real-life accidents. The effects of a 100% and 85% belt-wearing rate is described for the traffic accident incidence in the Federal Republic of Germany. On the basis of selected study material comprising 200 belted car drivers who were involved in head-on collisions, the injuries to the different parts of the body are presented in relation to the accident severity. In the light of these injuries, technical measures to the car and the belt system are proposed which might effect a further reduction of injuries.

The subject of research into truck accidents with a view to making safety modifications to trucks is steadily gaining in importance. In the light of newly compiled truck accident material comprising 2000 cases from 1979 to 1983 the problem of truck accidents can be assessed comprehensively. This study covers truck accidents with pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles, cars, truck/truck collisions and single-truck accidents. Because all accident groups and their percentage weighting according to real life are considered, it is possible to transfer the results to the general accident occurrence. The internal structure of the accident groups is contrasted with the official accident statistics in significant accident parameters. The frequencies of essential parameters, i.e. the kind of collision, the type of accident and the risk for the truck occupants and the other traffic participants involved are indicated.

Parallel and coordinated accident studies were conducted in the United States and in the Federal Republic of Germany to determine the extent, the level, and the comparability of neck injuries in automotive accidents as reported in the National Crash Severity Study (NCSS), and the Association of German Automobile Insurers (HUK-Verband) files. To determine the comparability of the two data sets, three primary evaluation criteria were used: 1) the distribution of overall injuries by AIS level by various occupant parameters, 2) the risk of occupant AIS injury vs. delta V, and 3) the distribution of neck injuries by AIS for restrained vs unrestrained occupants. Frequencies and severities of neck injuries in car accidents were compared in parallel layouts between the two data sets in frontal, side and rear impact modes. In further breakdown the frontal impact file was separated into driver/passenger and male/female categories.

Recent efforts to lessen the danger of automobile accidents have almost completely ignored trucks. The paper studies improvements of truck bodies in terms of the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and automobiles, and rates their efficacy and cost. Tests have shown that certain, previous safety measures incorporated into truck body design have not been effective. Protective devices for the truck's front (for protection against being run over by the truck), sides (similar protection), rear (protection against driving into the rear of the truck's chassis), and further improvements to frontal surfaces (to lessen impact) are presented. These measures may be for the protection of pedestrians, bicyclists, cars, or a combination thereof. Installation costs for these measures are estimated, and efficacy in terms of number of potentially avoided injuries is discussed. On the basis of cost and efficacy, a list of priorities of these safety measures is presented

Injuries sustained by car occupants were studied on the basis of representative material comprising 29,000 accidents. As a unit of reference in defining typical accident categories, the relative collision speed (RCS) was defined, rendering it possible to take into account of real-life factors. The importance of the RCS as a categorizing method is discussed in relation to the equivalent test speed (ETS) in crash tests. The frequency of actual accidents with regard to five typical accident categories and the resulting passenger injuries are indicated. The influence exercised by the mass of the vehicle, its deformation characteristics, its turning away movement in collision, and its interior safety are compared in accidents involving four typical vehicle categories. The confrontation with an equivalent number of accidents whereby the passengers were belted clearly showed the benefit of safety belt usage.

In order to contribute to the improvement of traffic safety, the German Motor Traffic Insurers investigated 100,000 accidents in 1969. In dependency upon crash conditions, injuries were related to clearly described car models. The method used is commented upon in detail. This paper deals with the representative material on 10,271 car crashes with passenger injuries. It is shown what types of impact are found in real-life collisions and at what speeds they occur. Facts influencing accident severity are discussed. It turned out that car crashes occur mostly at a collision speed below 60 km/h. Frequently, serious injuries are sustained in cases with moderately severe car damage. This fact is proved by fractures of the skull base, of the cervical spine, of the sternum, of the pelvis, and of the lower extremities, as well as eye injuries. An important percentage of casualties occur in average crash severity.