Evaluation of a Pedestrian-Compatible Bumper

As part of an ongoing NHTSA/Battelle/Calspan research program, 16 experimental vehicle-to-pedestrian impacts at 25 mph are being performed using the Calspan sled facility. The instrumented vehicle tests buck represents a vehicle front end that can be equipped with either an unmodified hard production-type bumper or a modified compliant pedestrian-compatible bumper. The instrumented pedestrian surrogates are unembalmed whole body anatomic specimens. The test matrix involves carefully paired subjects for comparison of the modified and unmodified configurations. Individual results are reported regarding pedestrian kinematics, measured forces and accelerations, physiological trauma incurred, and estimates of associated impairment, as well as an overall evaluation of injury- mitigating potential of the bumper system modifications.