Leg Injury Risk in Frontal Collisions

Lower limb injuries which might be assessed for current or proposed barrier tests were described for belted drivers in frontal impacts. Injury and impairment were rated using the Abbreviated Injury scale and the Injury Impairment scale. Both emphasised the importance of fracture, especially to the ankle/foot region. AIS ≥ 2 and IIS ≥ 1 injury rates were high with small driver side (right side) overlaps but a high rate was also found for wide overlap impacts with driver side load concentration. Passenger shell intrusion was frequently associated with injuries of AIS ≥ 2 and IIS ≥ 1. Injuries of this type occasionally occurred with low intrusion and at low impact speeds and will be important in view of the frequency of those types of crashes in the tow-away population. Femur and ankle/foot fractures were sustained predominantly by the right limb and it is recommended that further experimental work be carried out to determine the specific injury mechanisms involved with different intrusion levels at given impact speeds.