Mathematical modelling of pedestrian crashes: review of pedestrian models and parameter study of the influence of the sedan vehicle contour

The most common cause of pedestrian fatalities is head injuries sustained by the pedestrian. Other severe injuries sustained in such impacts are injuries to the chest, spine and abdomen and the lower extremities (Anderson and McLean, 2001, Fildes et al., 2004). Computer simulations for studying methods of reducing the loading to the pedestrian in a crash is a powerful tool especially considering the great cost associated with mechanical optimization of designs. Numerous pedestrian computer models are described in the literature. These models vary in complexity, published validation and availability. For the study of overall human kinematics in a crash, computer models based on rigid bodies connected to each other by joints provide a powerful tool. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E211985.