Title: Risk order of injury-causing car parts in various types of car accidents

Authors: H. Appel, J. Wustemann

Addresses: Technical University of Berlin, 1000 Berlin 12, Federal Republic of Germany. ' Technical University of Berlin, 1000 Berlin 12, Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract: By studying data gained from analyses of road accidents, the injury-causing risk of various parts of cars can be determined. This paper describes the results of such a study. Various ways of quantifying the potential risk of car parts are discussed, and a risk degree is defined in terms of injury frequency and injury severity. Car parts are compared in terms of injury-frequency, injury severity and risk degree for various groups of road users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and car occupants. Road-user groups are compared in terms of degree of multiple injury and average injury-severity. The results of the study indicate the parts of cars to which engineers should pay most attention in order to construct less aggressive cars.

Keywords: abbreviated injury scale; car accidents; injury-assessment criteria; road accidents; vehicle aggressivity; vehicle design; vehicle safety.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1986.061176

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1986 Vol.7 No.5/6, pp.232 - 240

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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