• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.104-113
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• 2013

New USNCAP has been carried out by NHTSA including front and side crash from MY2011. In this paper, test results for USNCAP Side crash were reviewed by statistical analysis. This review focused on side crash test results to investigate the effect of changes from new USNCAP side crash test protocol among 30 passenger cars. These results were summarized as followings. Total number of 5 star vehicles on the front seat dummy (16 vehicles, 53.3%) was slightly smaller than the rear seat's (17 vehicles, 56.7%) in MDB test. For the ES-2re dummy, chest injury, ie maximum rib deflection contributed to 66% in the mean value of $P_{joint}$. Pelvis injury was highly dependent upon performance up to 87% in the SID-IIs dummy cited on the rear seat in average $P_{joint}$. For Pole test, pelvis injury made contribution to the average performance to 83%. For standard deviation, it showed the largest value in the same body region as the mean value for each dummy. Overall front seat performance showed 14 vehicles, 44.6% with 5 star vehicles less than each MDB or Pole test result. This result showed that performances in MDB test were different pattern to Pole test on driver position. Number of 5star vehicles for overall side NCAP performance are 18 passenger cars (60%). Curtain airbag and driver thorax airbag were equipped in all test vehicles. One vehicle is equipped with thorax airbag in the rear seat. Results from two side tests considered as reliability problem, ie the cause for large standard deviation in side crash test. Consequently, the countermeasure for new USNCAP side crash test is essential to design the effective side structures for side collision and to control well dummy kinematics with curtain and thorax airbag in order to reduce chest and pelvis injuries.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.12-19
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• 2011

Real-world accident cases were investigated to understand injury characteristics of the elderly driver. A total 10 cases of car-to-car frontal crash accidents from passenger car including SUV claimed to domestic car insurance company were reviewed. The injury characteristics of the elderly were analyzed from personal information (gender, age), medical treatment record (medical certificate, curative days), vehicle information (model, air-bag, seatbelt) and damage information. This study showed that elderly driver has higher possibility of thorax injury than non-elderly's. Moreover, Injury type and severity were more severe than non-elderly driver at similar type accident conditions. Also, elderly driver's medical treatment period needs 3 times more than non-elderly driver's.