Search Results

Oblique crashes to the vehicle front corner may not be characteristic of either frontal or side impacts. This research evaluated occupant response in oblique crashes for a driver, rear adult passenger, and a rear child passenger. Occupant responses and injury potential were evaluated for seating positions as either a far-or near-side occupant. Two crash tests were conducted with a subcompact car. The vehicle’s longitudinal axis was oriented 45 degrees to the direction of travel on a moving platform and pulled into a wall at 56 km/h. Dummies utilized for the seating positions were an adult dummy (50th-percentile-HIII and THOR-Alpha) for the front-left (driver) position, 5th-percentile-female-HIII for the right-rear position, and a 3-year-old HIII for the left-rear position.

The purpose of this study was to determine neck strength characteristics of children indirectly using scaling relationships through a caprine animal model. Because of the necessity to evaluate airbag designs for injury risk to the out- of-position child, a strong foundation of experimental data is needed to obtain appropriate tolerance values. Cadaver caprine cervical spines of different ages were tested mechanically in non-destructive bending and destructive tensile modes. Injuries induced in destructive testing such as endplate failure and ligament tears were consistent with clinical observations. Specimens demonstrated statistically significant increased strength characteristics with age. Scaling relationships were developed with respect to the adult specimens. For the tensile failure load the scaling percentages were 78%, 38%, 20%, and 12% for the twelve-, six-, three-, and one-year-old, respectively.