Experimental Verification of Handrail Effect on Injury Reduction for Passengers Seated in Long Seats in the Event of a Collision

Abstract

In order to enhance the safety of passengers seated in long seats, it is important to identify the risk to passengers in the event of a collision. In a prior study, case studies using numerical analysis showed that the installation of handrails reduced the secondary impact velocity of passengers' heads. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of handrails in reducing the severity of injury to passengers through a series of physical tests. The experiment results showed that the occupant behavior and the severity of injury to the occupants were dependent on the initial seating position, and that the severity of head and thorax injuries decreased significantly in the presence of handrails.