Effects of passenger car front profile and human factors on pedestrian lower extremity injury risk using German in-depth accident data

This study aimed to identify the correlations of pedestrian with moderate to untreatable (AIS2+) lower extremity injury risk with the pedestrian kinematics and vehicle front profile variables using real-world accident data. A subsample of 404 pedestrian accident cases with lower extremity injuries was selected from German in-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) database to conduct statistical analysis. Variance test and logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze associations between selected variables and risk of pedestrian with AIS2+ lower extremtiy injuries. The results revealed that the predicted variables of the impact speed, pedestrian age and weight, the Lower bumper height (LBH) and the Bonnet leading edge height (BLEH) were statistically significant for AIS2+ lower extremity injuries. The higher impact speed, the higher LBH and BLEH corresponded to a greater likelihood of suffering an AIS 2+ lower extremity injury. The results could provide background knowledge for improving pedestrain protective strategies in passenger vehicle design.