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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)

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Summary

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 Av (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 Δ v ≥ 40 km/h all front-seat car passengers on the impact side sustained a total injury severity of Maximum AIS (MAIS) ≥ 4 and died. Although a passenger could survive the crash without injury to one or more body regions up to the highest EES- and Av-values, at EES or Δ v ≥ 40 km/h fatal injuries were sustained in at least one body region. At an EES ≥ 35 km/h or a Av ≥ 15 km/h no front-seat car passenger on the impact side remained uninjured.

Zusammenfassung

30 reale Pkw-Pkw-Seitenkollisionen mit Hauptanstoßpunkt B-Holm and stoßnah sitzenden angegurteten Frontinsassen wurden mit forensischer Genauigkeit rekonstruiert and die technischen Parameter mit der Verletzungsschwere, codiert nach AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale) 1985, in Beziehung gesetzt. EES (Energy Equivalent Speed) and Geschwindkeitsänderung Δv waren hochsignifikante Prädiktoren der Thorax-, Abdominal- and Gesamtverletzungsschwere. Ab einer EES oder Δ v ≥ 40 km/h erlitten die stoßnahen Insassen eine Gesamtverletzungsschwere MAIS ≥ 4 and starben. Auch wenn Insassen bis zu höchstens EES- oder Av-Werten in einer oder mehreren Körperregionen unverletzt bleiben konnten, erlitten sie ab einer EES oder Av≥40 km/h tödliche Verletzungen in mindestens einer Körperregion. Ab einer EES ≥ 35 km/h oder einer Av ≥ 25 km/h blieb kein stoßnaher Insasse mehr unverletzt.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstrasse 2, W-6900, Heidelberg 1, Germany

    E. Miltner, H. P. Wiedmann, B. Leutwein, H. -P. Hepp, R. Fischer, H. J. Salwender, H. Frobenius & D. Kallieris

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  1. E. Miltner
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  2. H. P. Wiedmann
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  3. B. Leutwein
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  4. H. -P. Hepp
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  5. R. Fischer
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  6. H. J. Salwender
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  7. H. Frobenius
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  8. D. Kallieris
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Miltner, E., Wiedmann, H.P., Leutwein, B. et al. 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). Int J Leg Med 105, 11–15 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01371230

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01371230

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