Effects of Car Front Shape on Pedestrian Chest Injuries in Car-to-pedestrian Collisions using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

In the present study, the factors that can affect a pedestrian's chest injuries by the front configuration of a vehicle were investigated using a finite element analysis. In a bonnet-type car-pedestrian accident, the pedestrian's chest impacted the bonnet top at a low velocity according to the rotation of the pedestrian's entire body around the car. The stiffness of the bonnet top where the chest impacted was distributed, and thorax deformation was small and uniform. In a one-box type vehicle-pedestrian accident, the pedestrian's chest was directly impacted by the front of the vehicle at a high velocity. Because the chest was hit by the stiff windshield frame, the thorax was deformed locally. The results showed that vehicle configuration can affect the impact velocity to the chest, and the stiffness of the vehicle structure can affect chest deformation and its mode.