Comparative analysis of vehicle–bicyclist and vehicle–pedestrian accidents in Japan

Abstract

Bicyclist and pedestrian injuries in collisions with vehicles in Japan were investigated based on national and in-depth accident data analyses and mathematical simulations. In an impact with a bonnet-type vehicle, a bicyclist slides over the bonnet of the vehicle, behavior that is not observed for pedestrians. As a result, the bicyclist’s head tends to strike a bonnet-type vehicle at a more rearward location in comparison with pedestrians. The first contact position of a bicycle with a vehicle, the vehicle front-end geometry and the bicycle velocity affect whether the bicyclist’s head strikes the vehicle or not. Due to the bent-knee posture of a bicyclist’s legs, the types of leg injuries sustained by bicyclists and their causes differ from those seen for pedestrians. Component test procedures have been proposed for evaluating pedestrian safety, but some modifications of the head impact area and angle are necessary when applying these methods to bicyclists.