Occupant Kinematics and injuries during high speed side impacts: An analysis of ARAI data 2016-2024

The objective of the present study was to examine trends in occupant kinematics and injuries during side impact tests carried out on vehicle models over the period of time . Head, shoulder, torso, spine, and pelvis kinematic responses are analyzed for driver dummy in high speed side impacts for vehicle model years, MY2016-2024. Automotive Research Association of India side impact crash data is examined. The test procedure involved a 50.0 km/h moving deformable barrier (MDB) impacting the sides of stationary vehicles. Instrumented 50th-percentile male EURO SID-2 dummy was positioned in the driver seat. Occupant kinematics data, including head accelerations, Head Injury Criterion (HIC15), Torso deflections at thorax and abdominal ribs, spine accelerations at T12, and pelvis accelerations were evaluated and compared. The “peak” and “time to- peak” responses were compared across different vehicle model years. The effect of delta-V, vehicle MY, on occupant kinematics was examined. For different vehicle delta V , MY2016-2020 demonstrated higher average peak kinematic responses compared to the MY2020-2024. The present study enhances the existing database of occupant kinematics in side impacts with an emphasis on high speed collisions. A reduction in occupant kinematics and risks for injury was observed in vehicle models over the past decade.