Search Results

Frontal crashes (11-1 o'clock) were reviewed from the National Accident Severity Study file (NASS) for years 1980-87. Adult drivers and front right passengers, with lower extremity injuries of the pelvis, thigh, knee, leg or ankle/foot were reviewed. Analysis of age differences, injury contacts, and effectiveness of the 3-point restraint system were studied. Unrestrained drivers have a higher frequency of knee injuries than passengers, fewer leg injuries than passengers and both have the same frequency of ankle/foot injuries. Older unbelted drivers have more injuries to the pelvis, leg, and ankle/foot region than do young drivers. Passengers have more leg injuries. The instrument panel is the major contact for most of the lower extremity injuries. Lap/shoulder belts significantly reduce lower extremity injury frequency.

This paper presents an analysis of the NASS file (1980 - 1986). Cases were selected for near side impacts for drivers, i.e. left side of car, involving unrestrained adult drivers who were alone in the car, and who were not involved in any other collisions following the primary left side impact. Data analysis indicates that 11 % of the near side drivers had crush damage to only the passenger compartment, the ‘P’ zone, that the head, chest and abdomen predominate as the body areas of concern (AIS 3+ injuries), but that these injuries are sustained more often on structures other than the side interior.

NASS 80-88 passenger side impacts data were analyzed. Location of primary car damage using the CDC classification, the AIS for injury severity studies, and the interior contacts of the various body areas. Drivers alone, or with passengers were studied separately in both left and right side crashes. Direct impacts to the passenger compartment only are less frequent than to other CDC side zones. Driver interior contacts vary by body region but also by side impacted in the crash. The presence of an unrestrained front passenger appears to enhance driver injury level in left side crashes but the presence of a passenger, in right side crashes appears to moderate driver injury severity.

In a review of 540 crashes in which the steering-wheel airbag deployed, 38% of the drivers sustained some level of upper extremity injury. The majority of these were AIS-1 injuries including abrasions, contusions and small lacerations. In 18 crashes the drivers sustained AIS-2 or-3 level upper extremity injuries, including fractures of the radius and/or ulna, or of the metacarpal bones, all related to airbag deployments. It was determined that six drivers sustained the fracture(s) directly from the deploying airbag or the airbag module cover. The remaining 12 drivers had fractures from the extremity being flung into interior vehicle structures, usually the instrument panel. Most drivers were taller than 170 cm and, of the 18 drivers, 10 were males.

On-scene investigations of 104 fatal accidents involving 136 fatalities have shown that ejection from the vehicle was the leading cause of the fatalities. The data indicate that the majority of these victims could have survived by the use of the simple lap seat belt. The steering assembly -- the end of the steering column or steering wheel proper -- was the leading cause of the fatalities among drivers. The majority of these driver fatalities could not have been saved even with the seat belt-shoulder harness restraint. Other than death by ejection, the instrument panel was the leading cause of death of the front seat passengers, most of whom could have survived by using seat belts. Impacts to the door caused invasion of the passenger compartment, and most occupants would have died even if restraints had been used. To decrease the number of fatal injuries from automobile accidents, future designs of automobile interiors must include adequate crash attenuation features.

Modulation of the occupant's movement within the vehicle by the seat belt reduces the potential for striking certain structures and decreases severity of the injuries. The seat belt also functions to direct the upper torso, especially the head, to specific interior surfaces. Design modifications of these areas are needed to prevent serious facial fractures that have been seen. Lap belted drivers contact the steering wheel rim or instrument panel in front of the wheel in head-on crashes; the front passenger strikes the upper instrument panel. Improper positioning of the lap seat belts produces serious intraabdominal injury, especially in the case of the rear passengers. Seat belt fatality cases were, in general, due to collapse and compromise of the occupant space as typified by the broadside intersection collision.

Investigations of 1967 and 1968 model cars indicate that the injuries sustained by driver impacts to the steering assembly are markedly reduced because of the energy absorbing steering column. Drivers, however, are sustaining facial injuries from impact to the steering wheel rim even in low speed crashes. In more severe head-on collisions, the driver is compressing the energy absorbing column and is striking his face on the upper padded instrument panel in front of the steering wheel. Relatively severe facial fractures are sustained by impacting this portion of the panel.

This paper presents examples of passenger car crashes with 3-point restrained front seat occupants. Detailed case capsule descriptions that include car make and model, injury descriptions and severity, and contacts producing the injuries.

The side impact, recently and currently the subject to of much debate, controversy and proposed NHTSA rule making, is a difficult type of crash to significantly reduce serious injuries and fatalites. Results from real-world crash investigations presents a confusing picture for the near-side passenger compartment crash. A direct relationship between the amount of crush and injury severity levels (MAIS) is not apparent. Exemplar cases of tow-a-way/injury crashes are presented at all AIS injury level of drivers in crashes with direct driver door crush damage.

A review of the UM series and of NCSS, NASS, CPIR and FARS Files, as well as Michigan accident data files was undertaken, as well as a review of the NTSB “Rear Seat Study”. From these files rear seat occupany is approximately 10%, with children 6 years of age or less being 1/5th of these. About 50-60% of those in the sear seat are adults. Most of the injuries are at the lower AIS levels, with adults being more seriously injured. Of the more serious or fatal injuries, the head and face predominate by far, in all types of crashes involving unrestrainded rear seat occupants. When belts are worn there are few seriously or fatally injured rear occupants and of these, the abdominal area predominates. From available data, rear lap-belted passengers have the same MAIS level (or less) when compared to their front seat lap-shoulder belted counterparts.

In comparison to drivers exposed to steering-wheel airbag deployments in frontal crashes, there have been fewer front-seat passengers exposed to airbag deployments for 1) many of the cars in crashes did not have dual airbags and 2) the front passenger seat is less often occupied. Of the 826 airbag crashes detailed by UMTRI crash investigators at the time of this manuscript preparation, there were 145 front-seat passengers, exposed to instrument panel mounted airbags. Most of these front-seat passengers 124 were involved in the frontal crashes. There were 92 who were 16 years of age or older, 24 were under 12 years of age and 11 young teenagers, 13-15 years of age. Of those who were 16 years or older in frontal crashes 70% had an MAIS-1 injury. None of the MAIS-2 injuries were directly related to airbag deployments. Of the AIS-3+ level injuries, about two-thirds were not airbag related.

From our crash investigations of air bag equipped passenger cars, a subset of upper extremity injuries are presented that are related to air bag deployments. Minor hand, wrist or forearm injuries-contusions, abrasions, and sprains are not uncommonly reported. Infrequently, hand fractures have been sustained and, in isolated cases, fractures of the forearm bones or of the thumb and/or adjacent hand. The close proximity of the forearm or hand to the air bag module door is related to most of the fractures identified. Steering wheel air bag deployments can fling the hand-forearm into the instrument panel, rearview mirror or windshield as indicated by contact scuffs or tissue debris or the star burst (spider web) pattern of windshield breakage in front of the steering wheel.