Technical parameters influencing the severity of injury of front-seat, belt-protected car passengers on the impact side in car-to-car side collisions with the main impact between the front and rear seats (B-pillars)

Abstract

Authentic car-to-car side collisions (n = 30) with the main impact area at the B-pillar were analyzed to find technical parameters corresponding with the injury severities of the front seat, belt-protected car passengers on the impact side. EES (Energy Equivalent Speed) and delta v (delta v, change in velocity) were highly significant predictors of the severity of thoracic and abdominal injuries and total injury severity coded according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). At an EES or delta v greater than or equal to 40 km/h all front-seat car passengers on the impact side sustained a total injury severity of Maximum AIS (MAIS) greater than or equal to 4 and died. Although a passenger could survive the crash without injury to one or more body regions up to the highest EES- and delta v-values, at EES or delta v greater than or equal to 40 km/h fatal injuries were sustained in at least one body region. At an EES greater than or equal to 35 km/h or a delta v greater than or equal to 15 km/h no front-seat car passenger on the impact side remained uninjured.