Cyclist kinematics in car impacts reconstructed in simulations and full scale testing with Polar dummy

For the development of effective vehicle-related safety solutions to improve cyclist and pedestrian protection, essential information on impact locations, impact situations and cyclist and pedestrian kinematics in impacts with passenger cars is fundamental. Accidentology research showed that cyclists typically have a higher impact location, with a larger share of injuries from the windscreen area . Majority of accidents happened at crossroads (72% of the Dutch cases). The average car speed was 36 kph, the median bicycle speed 14 kph. A cyclist simulation study captured kinematics and injuries to head, torso, pelvis and legs for several human body sizes, bicycle types and generic car models. Six full-scale crash tests (passenger car versus cyclist or pedestrian (Polar II dummy) had as main parameters: head impact location (top of bonnet, windscreen, A-pillar), vehicle speed (40 kph) and dummy speed (15 kph). Accidentology, simulation and crash test data showed that the windscreen is a frequent head and torso impact location. Accidentology and crash testing showed that cyclist protection should address higher, more rearward locations in the windscreen area than pedestrian countermeasures. Head impact speeds for cyclists in testing were generally higher than for pedestrians