01016520

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conf/CP35v2.pdf

A validated model of a 30-week-pregnant motor vehicle occupant is presented and the risk of fetal injury in frontal crashes is examined. A model of the pregnant uterus was imported into MADYMO 6.0 and included in the fifth-percentile female human body model by using membrane elements to serve as ligaments and facet surfaces for the overlying skin. A simulation matrix of 15 tests was developed to predict fetal outcome and included frontal crash impulses from minor (<24 km/h) to moderate (24 to 48 km/h) and severe (>48 km/h) crashes for the driver and passenger occupant positions. The test matrix included various restraint combinations: no restraint, lap belt, three-point belt, three-point with airbag, and airbag only. Overall, the risk of adverse fetal outcome was found to increase with increasing crash severity and to be higher for properly restrained drivers than for passengers. The peak uterine strain was reduced by 26% to 54% for the passenger position versus the driver position. This difference was due primarily to driver interaction with the steering wheel. For both occupant positions, the maternal injury indices were greatest for the unrestrained occupant. The current modeling effort has verified previous experimental findings regarding the importance of proper restraint use for the pregnant occupant.

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01016517

English

pp 141-147

2005

Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings

Conference on Research on Women's Issues in Transportation

0309093945

Print

Figures (3) ; References; Tables (1)

Air bags; Crash severity; Fetus; Frontal crashes; Injuries; Mathematical models; Pregnant women; Risk assessment; Seat belts; Simulation; Steering wheels

MADYMO (Computer program)

Driver position; Passenger seat position

Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I84: Personal Injuries

TRIS, TRB

Jan 31 2006 10:45AM

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