Experimental Reconstruction and Mathematical Modelling of Real World Pedestrian Accidents

Several similar real world pedestrian accidents are described and a number of different methods of reconstructing these accidents are reported. The results of full scale experimental reconstructions of two of the accidents using both dummies and cadavers as the pedestrian surrogate are presented. The effects on the pedestrian’s head contact with the vehicle of variations in the initial impact conditions are examined by computer simulation using the MADYMO two dimensional mathematical model.

The reproduction of the vehicle damage resulting from pedestrian head contact in four of the accidents using an impactor is then described. The relative merits of different methods of reproducing accidents are considered and a methodology for the reproduction of real world accidents outlined.