Can new passenger cars reduce pedestrian lower extremity injury? A review of geometrical changes of front-end design before and after regulatory efforts

Objective: Pedestrian lower extremity represents the most frequently injured body region in car-to-pedestrian accidents. The European Directive concerning pedestrian safety was established in 2003 for evaluating pedestrian protection performance of car models. However, design changes have not been quantified since then. The goal of this study was to investigate front-end profiles of representative passenger car models and the potential influence on pedestrian lower extremity injury risk.

Methods: The front-end styling of sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUV) released from 2008 to 2011 was characterized by the geometrical parameters related to pedestrian safety and compared to representative car models before 2003. The influence of geometrical design change on the resultant risk of injury to pedestrian lower extremity—that is, knee ligament rupture and long bone fracture—was estimated by a previously developed assessment tool assuming identical structural stiffness. Based on response surface generated from simulation results of a human body model (HBM), the tool provided kinematic and kinetic responses of pedestrian lower extremity resulted from a given car's front-end design.

Results: Newer passenger cars exhibited a “flatter” front-end design. The median value of the sedan models provided 87.5 mm less bottom depth, and the SUV models exhibited 94.7 mm less bottom depth. In the lateral impact configuration similar to that in the regulatory test methods, these geometrical changes tend to reduce the injury risk of human knee ligament rupture by 36.6 and 39.6% based on computational approximation. The geometrical changes did not significantly influence the long bone fracture risk.

Conclusions: The present study reviewed the geometrical changes in car front-ends along with regulatory concerns regarding pedestrian safety. A preliminary quantitative benefit of the lower extremity injury reduction was estimated based on these geometrical features. Further investigation is recommended on the structural changes and inclusion of more accident scenarios.     

钢结构人行天桥自振频率优化分析

为了提高人行天桥的整体安全性,该文在结构设计的理论基础上提出了一系列有效措施。以楚雄市某钢箱人行天桥为依托,采用结构优化的方式,利用有限元软件建立参数化模型,以梁高和二期荷载为变量,以基频和时程为目标函数,分别将钢箱梁梁高增加20 cm和30 cm,将原混凝土铺装更换为轻型材料聚氨酯塑胶,天桥的基频提高到原来的两倍多。结果表明:梁高和铺装对人行天桥抗震性能有着显著的影响,增加梁高,采用轻型铺装,能有效地优化人行天桥的自振频率,保证了结构安全,可为类似结构的安全运行提供有力参考。     

基于格子气模型的宿舍火灾人群疏散研究

为在宿舍发生火灾时给疏散人员提供最优的人群疏散方案,提高抢险救灾能力,将疏散过程分为两个阶段--学生发现火灾离开宿舍向走廊疏散,再由走廊向两端的出口疏散.综合考虑社会力因素,将优势方向权重算法与偏向随机行走格子气模型结合建模,对宿舍不同人数进行模拟,并通过Anylogic进行仿真计算.结果表明,格子气模型和优势方向权重算法能够真实模拟宿舍火灾疏散场景.     

Validation of a booted finite element model of the WIAMan ATD lower limb in component and whole-body vertical loading impacts with an assessment of the boot influence model on response

Objective: A novel anthropomorphic test device (ATD) representative of the 50th percentile male soldier is being developed to predict injuries to a vehicle occupant during an underbody blast (UBB). The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a finite element (FE) model of the ATD lower limb outfitted with a military combat boot and to insert the validated lower limb into a model of the full ATD and simulate vertical loading experiments.

Methods: A Belleville desert combat boot model was assigned contacts and material properties based on previous experiments. The boot model was fit to a previously developed model of the barefoot ATD. Validation was performed through 6 matched pair component tests conducted on the Vertically Accelerated Loads Transfer System (VALTS). The load transfer capabilities of the FE model were assessed along with the force-mitigating properties of the boot. The booted lower limb subassembly was then incorporated into a whole-body model of the ATD. Two whole-body VALTS experiments were simulated to evaluate lower limb performance in the whole body.

Results: The lower limb model accurately predicted axial loads measured at heel, tibia, and knee load cells during matched pair component tests. Forces in booted simulations were compared to unbooted simulations and an amount of mitigation similar to that of experiments was observed. In a whole-body loading environment, the model kinematics match those recorded in experiments. The shape and magnitude of experimental force–time curves were accurately predicted by the model. Correlation between the experiments and simulations was backed up by high objective rating scores for all experiments.

Conclusion: The booted lower limb model is accurate in its ability to articulate and transfer loads similar to the physical dummy in simulated underbody loading experiments. The performance of the model leads to the recommendation to use it appropriately as an alternative to costly ATD experiments.     

Fast Calculating Surrogate Models for Leg and Head Impact in Vehicle–Pedestrian Collision Simulations

Objective: In previous research, a tool chain to simulate vehicle–pedestrian accidents from ordinary driving state to in-crash has been developed. This tool chain allows for injury criteria-based, vehicle-specific (geometry, stiffness, active safety systems, etc.) assessments. Due to the complex nature of the included finite element analysis (FEA) models, calculation times are very high. This is a major drawback for using FEA models in large-scale effectiveness assessment studies. Therefore, fast calculating surrogate models to approximate the relevant injury criteria as a function of pedestrian vehicle collision constellations have to be developed.

Method: The development of surrogate models for head and leg injury criteria to overcome the problem of long calculation times while preserving high detail level of results for effectiveness analysis is shown in this article. These surrogate models are then used in the tool chain as time-efficient replacements for the FEA model to approximate the injury criteria values. The method consists of the following steps: Selection of suitable training data sets out of a large number of given collision constellations, detailed FEA calculations with the training data sets as input, and training of the surrogate models with the FEA model's input and output values.

Results: A separate surrogate model was created for each injury criterion, consisting of a response surface that maps the input parameters (i.e., leg impactor position and velocity) to the output value. In addition, a performance test comparing surrogate model predictions of additional collision constellations to the results of respective FEA calculations was carried out. The developed method allows for prediction of injury criteria based on impact constellation for a given vehicle. Because the surrogate models are specific to a certain vehicle, training has to be redone for a new vehicle. Still, there is a large benefit regarding calculation time when doing large-scale studies.

Conclusion: The method can be used in prospective effectiveness assessment studies of new vehicle safety features and takes into account specific local features of a vehicle (geometry, stiffness, etc.) as well as external parameters (location and velocity of pedestrian impact). Furthermore, it can be easily extended to other injury criteria or accident scenarios; for example, cyclist accidents.     

Computational modeling and analysis of thoracolumbar spine fractures in frontal crash reconstruction

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to reconstruct 11 motor vehicle crashes (6 with thoracolumbar fractures and 5 without thoracolumbar fractures) and analyze the fracture mechanism, fracture predictors, and associated parameters affecting thoracolumbar spine response.

Methods: Eleven frontal crashes were reconstructed with a finite element simplified vehicle model (SVM). The SVM was tuned to each case vehicle and the Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) Ver. 4.01 was scaled and positioned in a baseline configuration to mimic the documented precrash driver posture. The event data recorder crash pulse was applied as a boundary condition. For the 6 thoracolumbar fracture cases, 120 simulations to quantify uncertainty and response variation were performed using a Latin hypercube design of experiments (DOE) to vary seat track position, seatback angle, steering column angle, steering column position, and D-ring height. Vertebral loads and bending moments were analyzed, and lumbar spine indices (unadjusted and age-adjusted) were developed to quantify the combined loading effect. Maximum principal strain and stress data were collected in the vertebral cortical and trabecular bone. DOE data were fit to regression models to examine occupant positioning and thoracolumbar response correlations.

Results: Of the 11 cases, both the vertebral compression force and bending moment progressively increased from superior to inferior vertebrae. Two thoracic spine fracture cases had higher average compression force and bending moment across all thoracic vertebral levels, compared to 9 cases without thoracic spine fractures (force: 1,200.6 vs. 640.8 N; moment: 13.7 vs. 9.2?Nm). Though there was no apparent difference in bending moment at the L1–L2 vertebrae, lumbar fracture cases exhibited higher vertebral bending moments in L3–L4 (fracture/nonfracture: 45.7 vs. 33.8?Nm). The unadjusted lumbar spine index correctly predicted thoracolumbar fracture occurrence for 9 of the 11 cases (sensitivity?=?1.0; specificity?=?0.6). The age-adjusted lumbar spine index correctly predicted thoracolumbar fracture occurrence for 10 of the 11 cases (sensitivity?=?1.0; specificity?=?0.8). The age-adjusted principal stress in the trabecular bone was an excellent indicator of fracture occurrence (sensitivity?=?1.0; specificity?=?1.0). A rearward seat track position and reclined seatback increased the thoracic spine bending moment by 111–329%. A more reclined seatback increased the lumbar force and bending moment by 16–165% and 67–172%, respectively.

Conclusions: This study provided a computational framework for assessing thoracolumbar fractures and also quantified the effect of precrash driver posture on thoracolumbar response. Results aid in the evaluation of motor vehicle crash–induced vertebral fractures and the understanding of factors contributing to fracture risk.     

基于控制试验的行人流特性模型及失稳研究

为探究行人流失稳的阈值条件,开展双人碰撞、多人碰撞和高密度多人碰撞3种不同场景的控制试验,构建考虑碰撞挤压力、速度、密度、流量的行人流模型;通过无人机与压力传感设备采集试验数据,分析得到行人轨迹、行人流特性及行人间碰撞挤压力的变化特征;在此基础上,利用分段Hermite三次插值法,探究速度、密度对碰撞挤压力大小的影响;基于Van Aerde模型,引入碰撞挤压力参数,构建力-速度-密度-流量四维模型,判断行人流失稳的阈值条件。结果表明: 当行人密度达2.46人/m²,行人流开始失稳;当行人密度达3.59人/m²,行人流完全失稳;失稳过程中,行人受到的碰撞挤压力区间为[187.32, 258.11]N。     

Epidemiology of alcohol and drug screening among pedestrian fatalities in the United States, 2014–2016

Objective: U.S. pedestrian fatalities increased by 25% between 2010 and 2015. Risk factors include distractions, the built environment, urbanization, economic variables, and weather conditions. Of interest is the role of alcohol and drugs in premature death among pedestrians. This study sought to explore the prevalence of substance use screenings among pedestrian fatalities in the United States between 2014 and 2016.

Methods: Data were collected from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System provided by the NHTSA. Pedestrian crash variables included demographics as well as information regarding alcohol or drug testing status. Frequency and cross-tabulation tables were constructed to assess the prevalence of screening by person, place, and time. Log-linear analyses were completed to explore age, race, and sex differences. A 3-year examination period was used to control for yearly fluctuations and to incorporate an increasing trend in cases.

Results: Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 84% of all deaths among vulnerable road users during the examination period. Those most at risk were white males between the ages of 45 and 64. Over all states, 74.7% of fatalities were tested for alcohol and 67.1% were tested for drugs; further, 66.5% of cases were tested for both alcohol and drugs and 24.8% were tested for neither substance. Cases screened for both alcohol and drugs ranged from 2.9% in North Carolina to 95.7% in Nevada and those testing for neither substance ranged from a high of 68.9% in Indiana to a low of 1.1% in Maryland. Log-linear regression revealed significant differences in alcohol screening by age and race but not by sex. Differences in drug screening were not identified for any demographic variable. Fatalities tested for alcohol were significantly more likely to be tested for drugs; only 8.2% were screened solely for alcohol and 0.05% were screened for drugs alone.

Conclusions: Preventive strategies become more important as pedestrian crashes and fatalities increase. Risk reduction in the form of policy change, alterations to the built environment, or interdisciplinary approaches to injury prevention is dependent upon best evidence supported in part by more deliberate and consistent screening.     

人车碰撞中行人大腿保护研究

研究提高人车碰撞中行人大腿的保护性能的方法.首先对大腿伤害机理,伤害评价指标以及车辆自身结构进行阐述和研究,总结车辆前端结构的关键参数;对某车型的前大灯进行结构改进,按照欧洲新车安全评鉴协会(Euro NCAP)行人大腿保护的试验评价方法,改进后进行碰撞试验;建立装有发动机罩安全气囊的整车仿真模型,验证安全气囊对行人大腿的保护性能.经过试验和仿真可以得出:车辆前大灯结构刚度改进和发动机罩安全气囊可以改善行人大腿的保护性能.     

汽车一体化安全与行人保护研究

汽车一体化安全把汽车被动安全与主动安全有机结合,可以充分发挥主、被动安全措施的最佳效用,其代表技术是汽车预碰撞安全,该技术已成为汽车安全领域新的研究热点和发展趋势.笔者介绍了汽车一体化安全的定义与组成,通过应用实例概述了汽车预碰撞安全的研究现状.通过统计分析人-车碰撞时序探讨汽车一体化安全技术应用于行人保护的必要性.在此基础上介绍了基于一体化安全的行人碰撞保护方案的基本原理,列举应用实例分析该方案的技术特点,应用实例表明一体化安全可以为行人提供更好的保护效果,将成为行人碰撞保护今后的发展方向.     

Injury-related hospital admission of female firefighters in South Korea

Purpose. The main objective of this study was to ascertain whether injury-related hospital admission in all South Korea female firefighters is greater than that in the general population. Methods. To perform this comparison, the standardized admission ratios (SARs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by person-years and mortality computation software. Results. Compared to the general population, the SARs for overall injury (SAR?=?1.57, 95% CI [1.24, 1.96]) and for injury to the lower back (SAR?=?2.78, 95% CI [1.81, 4.07]) in the female firefighters were significantly higher. The SARs for injury to the knee (SAR?=?2.48, 95% CI [1.18, 4.55]) in emergency medical services (EMS) workers were significantly higher than those in the general population. Conclusions. Our study shows that the SARs of overall injury and injury to the lower back in female firefighters and knee injury in the EMS were significantly higher than those in the general population. Further studies are needed to protect the lower back of firefighters and the knees of EMS.     

基于文献计量分析的行人交通安全研究综述

为了解行人交通安全的研究现状和发展趋势,基于Bibexcel和Gephi文献计量软件及可视化工具,以Web of Science数据库近17年(2003—2019年)有关行人交通安全研究的文献为统计样本,从发文国家及年代、期刊载文量、重点研究机构、国家学术合作及技术主题聚类分析行人交通安全领域研究态势。研究结果表明:行人交通安全研究近17年发文态势呈稳步上升趋势,Transportation Research Record期刊不仅是发表文章数最多的期刊,同时也是总被引次数最多的期刊;以American Journal of Public Health为代表的一些期刊虽发表文章数量不多,但总被引用次数及平均被引次数均排名靠前,排名前10位的研究机构分别来自于加拿大、美国、韩国、中国;主要研究方向集中于行人过街行为研究、车载行人检测研究、行人受伤风险因素研究、儿童行人伤害及保护研究、行人宏观交通安全研究、手机对于行人过街安全性的影响等方面;行人宏观交通安全研究和行人受伤风险因素研究近5年发文量呈显著上升趋势,值得关注。     

Effect of posture on forces and moments measured in a Hybrid III ATD lower leg

Objective: Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) are used to assess real injury risk to occupants of vehicles during injurious events. In the lower leg, values from load cells are compared to injury criteria developed in cadaveric studies. These criteria are typically developed with the leg in a neutral posture, whereas the ATD may assume a wide range of postures during safety evaluation tests. The degree to which the initial posture of an ATD has an effect on the measured forces and moments in the lower leg is unknown.

Methods: A Hybrid III ATD lower leg was impacted in a range of postures under conditions representing a crash test, and peak axial force and adjusted tibia index injury measures were evaluated. Ankle posture was varied in 5° increments using a custom-made footplate, and dorsi/plantarflexion (20° DF to 20° PF) and in/eversion (20° IV to 5° EV) were evaluated. Tibia angle was also varied (representing knee flexion/extension) by ±10° from neutral.

Results: Peak axial force was not affected by ankle flexion or tibia angulation. Adjusted tibia index was lowest for plantarflexion, as well as for tibia angles representative of knee extension. Both peak axial force and adjusted tibia index were lowest for postures of great inversion and were highest in neutral or near-neutral postures.

Conclusions: The range of postures tested herein spanned published injury criteria and thus would have made the difference between pass and fail in a safety evaluation. In/eversion had the largest influence on injury metrics, likely due to the change in axial stiffness and altered impact durations in these postures. Results suggest increased injury risk at neutral or near-neutral postures, whereas previous cadaveric studies have suggested that in/eversion does not influence injury risk. It is unclear whether the ATD appropriately represents the natural lower leg for impacts in out-of-position testing. Great care must be taken when initially positioning ATDs for safety evaluations, because small perturbations in posture were shown herein to have large effects on the measured injury risk using this tool.     

梁腹板开圆孔的钢框架抗震节点

介绍了梁腹板开圆孔的钢框架梁柱节点,笔者探讨的基本思路是希望通过对梁截面的削弱确保结构在强震作用时的塑性铰远离节点域而出现在梁上;同时,该节点形式应用于住宅体系时,使水暖管线穿梁和降低结构空间占用成为可能.因此,笔者对该节点形式的基本受力性能及设计中需要考虑的构造措施进行了较详细的探讨,并利用ANSYS对其塑性区分布和剪应力分布进行了分析.研究结果初步表明,梁腹板开圆孔的钢框架节点具有理论上的合理性和实用上的可行性,可达到塑性铰外移和增加使用功能的目的.     

How do children learn to cross the street? The process of pedestrian safety training

Objective: Pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of child death and may be reduced by training children to cross streets more safely. Such training is most effective when children receive repeated practice at the complex cognitive–perceptual task of judging moving traffic and selecting safe crossing gaps, but there is limited data on how much practice is required for children to reach adult levels of functioning. Using existing data, we examined how children's pedestrian skills changed over the course of 6 pedestrian safety training sessions, each composed of 45 crossings within a virtual pedestrian environment.

Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial on pedestrian safety training, 59 children ages 7–8 crossed the street within a semi-immersive virtual pedestrian environment 270 times over a 3-week period (6 sessions of 45 crossings each). Feedback was provided after each crossing, and traffic speed and density were advanced as children's skill improved. Postintervention pedestrian behavior was assessed a week later in the virtual environment and compared to adult behavior with identical traffic patterns.

Results: Over the course of training, children entered traffic gaps more quickly and chose tighter gaps to cross within; their crossing efficiency appeared to increase. By the end of training, some aspects of children's pedestrian behavior was comparable to adult behavior but other aspects were not, indicating that the training was worthwhile but insufficient for most children to achieve adult levels of functioning.

Conclusions: Repeated practice in a simulated pedestrian environment helps children learn aspects of safe and efficient pedestrian behavior. Six twice-weekly training sessions of 45 crossings each were insufficient for children to reach adult pedestrian functioning, however, and future research should continue to study the trajectory and quantity of child pedestrian safety training needed for children to become competent pedestrians.     

Older Adults at Increased Risk as Pedestrians in Victoria,Australia: An Examination of Crash Characteristics and Injury Outcomes

Objectives: Engaging in active transport modes (especially walking) is a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to driving and may be particularly beneficial for older adults. However, older adults are a vulnerable group: they are at higher risk of injury compared with younger adults, mainly due to frailty and may be at increased risk of collision due to the effects of age on sensory, cognitive, and motor abilities. Moreover, our population is aging, and there is a trend for the current cohort of older adults to maintain mobility later in life compared with previous cohorts. Though these trends have serious implications for transport policy and safety, little is known about the contributing factors and injury outcomes of pedestrian collision. Further, previous research generally considers the older population as a homogeneous group and rarely considers the increased risks associated with continued ageing.

Method: Collision characteristics and injury outcomes for 2 subgroups of older pedestrians (65–74 years and 75+ years) were examined by extracting data from the state police–reported crash dataset and hospital admission/emergency department presentation data over the 10-year period between 2003 and 2012. Variables identified for analysis included pedestrian characteristics (age, gender, activity, etc.), crash location and type, injury characteristics and severity, and duration of hospital stay. A spatial analysis of crash locations was also undertaken to identify collision clusters and the contribution of environmental features on collision and injury risk.

Results: Adults over 65 years were involved in 21% of all pedestrian collisions. A high fatality rate was found among older adults, particularly for those aged 75 years and older: this group had 3.2 deaths per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of 1.3 for 65- to 74-year-olds and 0.7 for adults below 65 years of age. Older pedestrian injuries were most likely to occur while crossing the carriageway; they were also more likely to be injured in parking lots, at driveway intersections, and on sidewalks compared to younger cohorts. Spatial analyses revealed older pedestrian crash clusters on arterial roads in urban shopping precincts. Significantly higher rates of hospital admissions were found for pedestrians over the age of 75 years and for abdominal, head, and neck injuries; conversely, older adults were underrepresented in emergency department presentations (mainly lower and upper extremity injuries), suggesting an increased severity associated with older pedestrian injuries. Average length of hospital stay also increased with increasing age.

Conclusion: This analysis revealed age differences in collision risk and injury outcomes among older adults and that aggregate analysis of older pedestrians can distort the significance of risk factors associated with older pedestrian injuries. These findings have implications that extend to the development of engineering, behavioral, and enforcement countermeasures to address the problems faced by the oldest pedestrians and reduce collision risk and improve injury outcomes.