Vehicle Impact Location and its Relationship to Occupant injuries

This paper investigates the effects of vehicle impact location on the injuries of passenger vehicle, light truck, and van drivers involved in severe accidents. Drivers of vehicles where the most severe impact was to the front, back, or sides were studied; top and undercarriage impacts were excluded because of their relative rareness. Results indicate the severity of injuries to unbelted drivers was highest in frontal and lowest in rear-end collisions. Unbelted driver injuries most frequently involved the face, head, lower limbs/pelvis from forces originating at the front of the vehicle. Belted driver injuries most frequently involved the lower limbs/pelvis from impacts to the left side of the vehicle. Recommendations to improve injury protection for both belted and unbelted drivers are made.