In recent years recognition has been made of the important problem of car side collisions and some basic works concerning accident and injury characteristics have been published.
In spite of this the relation between car damage and resulting injuries is not yet known to complete satisfaction.
The injury criteria of belted occupants in particular, have until now only been known side collisions from individual cases.
In this report the importance of side impacts is shown. The methodology of HUK-accident characteristics is presented. The accident characteristics as to impact area and intension type are analysed and related to the resultant occupant injuries on the basis of side collisions involving of 1.811 passenger cars with 3.064 unbelted occupants. Furthermore the significance of side collision involving passenger cars with other cars, trucks and objects and their proportion to all side collisions with serious/fatal injuries is indicated, showing priorities of safety requirements.
The injury criteria of belted occupants were investigated on the basis of 163 collisions with car side damage involving 238 belted drivers and front seat passengers. The injuries of the belted occupants are discussed and the trends compared with injuries to unbelted occupants. Typical lesions to the different body areas and the influence the belt has on injuries to impact/opposite side passengers are indicated.
Safety criteria concerning the structure and car interior characteristics and belt effectiveness in side impacts are discussed.