Severe injury of pyknic female drivers induced by sitting behaviour

Abstract

Pyknic females sustain more severe injuries in vehicle accidents than standard-physique males owing to different sitting behaviours. To design safety devices, the injury mechanisms for those non-standard physiques should be systematically investigated. In our study, we constructed a database on the sitting behaviour of pyknic females using a 3D scanning method and numerically investigated its influence on injuries in a frontal impact. Our database showed that a pyknic female has a more reclined posture compared to a standard male, which might be influenced by the higher abdominal obesity. Interestingly, the sitting behaviours of pyknic females are classified by their seat positions. Our analysis revealed that those classifications result from the driver’s vision requirement. According to the numerical investigation, the pyknic female experiences 20% more severe head and chest injuries compared to the standard male regardless of seat position. The farther distance between the crash pad and knee delays the impact time and decreases the energy absorption at the knee. The study provides a promising design guideline to improve the safety of pyknic female who sustain more severe injuries than males with standard physique.