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This study concerns the generation of response surfaces for kinematics and injury prediction in pedestrian impact simulations using human body model. A 1000-case DOE (Design of Experiments) study with a Latin Hypercube sampling scheme is conducted using a finite element pedestrian human body model and a simplified parametric vehicle front-end model. The Kriging method is taken as the approach to construct global approximations to system behavior based on results calculated at various points in the design space. Using the response surface models, human lower limb kinematics and injuries, including impact posture, lateral bending angle, ligament elongation and bone fractures, can be quickly assessed when either the structural dimensions or the structural behavior of the vehicle front-end design change. This will aid in vehicle front-end design to enhance protection of pedestrian lower limbs.

Since introduction of safety belts in the 70s and airbags in the early 80s, these passive safety technologies have become standard in many markets. Remarkable improvement in passive safety, efforts to alter driver behaviour and infrastructural programmes have led to substantial reductions of fatalities in many regions, although the absolute number of highway fatalities increased e.g. in the USA in 2002 to the highest level since 1990. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as an active safety technology assists the driver to keep the vehicle on the intended track and thereby actively prevents accidents. In 1995 Bosch was the first supplier to introduce ESC for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, where it is marketed as ESP® - Electronic Stability Program. Since then, Bosch has produced more than 30 million systems worldwide. Many studies have now confirmed that ESC can prevent a vehicle from skidding or rolling over in nearly all driving situations.

In order to prevent injuries due to automatic functions like express- and comfort-opening/closing of power operated window-lift and sunroof systems, mechanisms for detecting obstacles have to be established. The main related regulations are the 74/60/ECC and the FMVSS 118. In this paper we present a unified approach for smart actuators that bases on monitoring the rotational speed of the armature. The advantages have been worked out with the aid of system simulation and proven with tests under realistic and extreme scenarios. The presented results are mainly focused on a sunroof project, which is upcoming for an European car platform in 2001 and is specified to fulfill both regulations simultaneously.

The official Indian accident statistics show that the number of road accidents and fatalities are one of the highest worldwide. These official statistics provide important facts about the current accident situation. It is suspected that for various reasons not all accidents are reported to the official statistic. This study estimates the degree of underreporting of traffic accidents with casualties in India. In order to get a national overview of the traffic accident situation it is necessary to improve the knowledge about underreported accidents. Therefore, the in-depth accident database of “Road Accident Sampling System India” (RASSI) was analyzed [1]. This project is organized by a consortium that has collected traffic accidents scientifically in four different regions since 2011 on the spot which have been reported either by police or by local hospitals and own patrol by RASSI engineers.

Headliner material plays an important role in occupant protection in situations involving head impact into the interior vehicle roof area. Accurate characterization of its mechanical properties is therefore extremely important for prediction of its behavior during interior impact assessment of a vehicle. Headliner material typically consists of two main layers: the substrate layer which provides structural integrity and impact protection, and the fabric-foam layer which provides proper interior fit and appearance. Both layers vary significantly in thickness and composition between different manufacturers. This paper investigates effects of the layer thickness on compressive strength and deformation of several different headliner materials.

“Safe Driving” is an essential world-wide automotive requirement. The demand for “Safe Driving” is particularly high in industrialized countries, but it is also growing in the fast-developing nations. However, the annual reduction of serious traffic injuries and fatalities is still too low and the target to halve the number of people killed in traffic in the European Union from 2001 to 2010 has not been met. Essential influences to close this gap include legislation, road traffic regulations and monitoring, technical improvement of vehicles including active and passive safety systems, the increase of the equipment rate for safety functions and the re-design of traffic infrastructure for safety reasons. During the last years several countries in Europe started to consider these aspects combined in an integrated and general traffic safety policy, i.e. “Vision Zero” in Sweden.

Driving through intersections can be potentially dangerous because nearly 23 percent of the total automotive related fatalities and almost 1 million injury-causing crashes occur at or within intersections every year [1]. The impact of traffic intersections on trip delays also leads to waste of human and natural resources. Our goal is to increase the safety and throughput of traffic intersections using co-operative driving. In earlier work [2], we have proposed a family of vehicular network protocols, which use Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) and Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) technologies to manage a vehicle's movement at intersections Specifically, we have provided a collision detection algorithm at intersections (CDAI) to avoid potential crashes at or near intersections and improve safety. We have shown that vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications can be used to significantly decrease the trip delays introduced by traffic lights and stop signs.

General Motors (GM), OnStar and the University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) have formed a partnership to investigate and analyze real world rollover crashes involving GM vehicles equipped with rollover sensing technology and rollover-capable roof rail airbag systems. Candidates for the study are initially identified by OnStar, who receive notification of a rollover crash through the vehicle's Automatic Crash Response system. If the customer agrees to participate in the study, medical, vehicle and crash scene information are quickly gathered. This information is then reviewed by the medical and GM engineering communities to provide field relevant learning on injury mechanisms and vehicle system performance in rollover events. This paper provides a detailed review of the field case studies collected to date.

This paper reports on a study that examines the effect of shoulder belt load limiters and pretensioners as well as crash and occupant factors that influence upper torso harm in real-world frontal crashes. Cases from the University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) database were analyzed. Additional information was used from other databases including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS), and patient data available from the University of Michigan Trauma Center. The ICAM database is comprised of information from real-world crashes in which occupants were seriously injured and required treatment at a Level 1 Trauma Center.

The 2011 Report of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India states that the total accidents with injuries is estimated about 497, 686 out of which the injuries are 511, 394 and fatalities are 142, 485, an average of one fatality per 3.5 [1]. Social losses on account of these crashes are estimated at over Rupees 100 000 Crores annually or 3% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [2]. The irony is that these causalities are rising at 5.9 % annually. India accounts for 10% of the global road crash fatalities. Therefore traffic safety became very important in India. In order to understand the root causes of accidents data is needed in more detail which could be analyzed and points out the major issues to find solutions to stop this trend. Besides vehicle safety, infrastructure related issues and education skills can be derived out of accident data. Official statistics regarding accidents in India are available in national and state wise reports.

In spite of improvements in passive safety and efforts to alter driver behavior, the absolute number of highway fatalities in 2002 increased to the highest level since 1990 in the US. ESP is an active safety technology that assists the driver to keep the vehicle on the intended path and thereby helps to prevent accidents. ESP is especially effective in keeping the vehicle on the road and mitigating rollover accidents which account for over 1/3 of all fatalities in single vehicle accidents. In 1995 Bosch was the first supplier to introduce electronic stability control (ESC) for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. Since then, Bosch has produced more than 10 million systems worldwide which are marketed as ESP - Electronic Stability Program. In this report Bosch will present ESP contributions to active safety and the required adaptations to support four wheel driven vehicles and to mitigate rollover situations.

Pedestrian crashes are a major safety concern worldwide, especially in India. About one of every ten traffic-related fatalities in the country is a pedestrian. In 2016 nearly 15,800 pedestrians were killed in India. They were mainly exposed to risk when crossing and walking on the road in urban and rural areas. The aim of the study was to understand the pedestrian behavior on the road and to identify characteristics of pedestrian crashes in India. Many unique behavior was observed like pedestrian crossed half way and stopped in middle of road. Nearly 10% of pedestrians are fatal each year involving in ~5% of overall accidents in India, This study revels every second pedestrian accident occurred while walking and crossing the road straight.

India has one of the highest growth rates of individual mobility in the world, as well as one of the largest numbers of road casualties. Modern active safety systems are slowly becoming established in the Indian passenger car market. The intension of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the car safety feature Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for India. The Indian accidents has to be analysed to identify the reliable root cause. For this purpose, passenger car Loss of Control accidents were investigated in more detail with the aim of estimating the safety potential of ESC for India. A methodology is developed to extrapolate the in-depth accident database of Road Accident Sampling System for India (RASSI) to the entire accident situation in India. Loss of Control accidents are analysed with regard to their root causes, crash consequences and contributing factors.

Motorized two wheelers, also known as powered two wheelers (PTW) are the most common mode of transportation in India. Around one in four deaths that occurred on the roads in India in 2012 involved a motorcyclist, according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This constitutes the highest contributor for fatal accidents in India [1]. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) analysis shows the risk of a motorcyclist having a fatal accident is 20 times greater than for a car driver travelling the same route [2]. An investigation conducted by Bosch looked at the accident database of Road Accident Sampling System for India (RASSI). This investigation revealed interesting facts about the Indian motorcycle accident situation, such as root causes of powered two wheeler collisions and riders behaviour including their braking patterns during the pre-crash phase of the accident.

In the year of 2012 in India the total number of accidents with injuries is registered by Ministry of Road Transport and Highway with 490,383 out of which injured people are 509,667 and fatalities are 138,258 [1]. Nearly 17% of the fatalities are occupants of passenger cars which constitute the second highest contributor for fatal accidents in India [1]. In order to understand the root causes for car accidents in India, Bosch accident research carried out a study based on in-depth accidents collected in India. Apart from other accident contributing factors e.g. infrastructure the driver behaviour and his actions few milliseconds just prior to the crash is an extremely important and a key valuable data for the understanding of accident causation. Further on it supports also the development of modern automotive safety functions. Hence this research was undertaken to evaluate the benefit of the state-of-the art vehicle safety systems known as Antilock Braking System (ABS).

India witnessed 151,113 road deaths in the year 2019 and this alarming number is due to increased urbanization, motorization and per capita income. India is home to the 2nd largest road network in the world and accounts for the highest number of road deaths globally. Curbing the menace of road accidents requires tactical road safety policies and their effective implementation. The meagre availability of factual data regarding socio-economic loss due to road accidents is proving to be a hindrance to the ideation and implementation of the policies. The Planning Commission estimated the social costs of road accidents to be 7.9 billion $ in 1999/2000 which was roughly 3% of the country’s GDP and this value was revised to 14.3 billion $ in 2011. Absence of data regarding the loss due to road accidents in the recent times, has been a motivating factor to estimate the socio economic loss due to accidents on Indian roads.

Internal organ injuries of the chest are one of the leading causes of deaths in motor vehicle crashes. The issue of initial presence and dynamic formation of voids around the heart and aorta is addressed to improve kinematics, force interaction and injury risk assessment of these organs of the Global Human Body Model. Steps to fill the voids are presented.