An analysis of head impact severity in simulations of collisions between pedestrians and SUVs/work utility vehicles, and sedans.

Objective: To describe the determinants of the severity of the head kinematics of a pedestrian when struck by common sport utility vehicles (SUV) and work utility vehicles (WUVs) to assess how effective assessment protocols are in assessing injury risk for SUVs and work utilities.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-four simulations of pedestrian collisions with SUVs, work utility vehicles, and sedans were performed using several vehicle geometries, pedestrian orientations, speeds, and braking levels. Contact stiffnesses in the models were based on impact test results with exemplar vehicle structures.