Findings from University of Waterloo Provide New Insights into Risk Management (Occupant thorax response variations due to arm position and restraint…

Findings from University of Waterloo Provide New Insights into Risk Management (Occupant thorax response variations due to arm position and restraint systems in side impact crash scenarios)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Research findings on Risk Management are discussed in a new report. According to news originating from Waterloo, Canada, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Recent epidemiological studies have identified that thoracic side airbags may vary in efficacy to reduce injury severity in side impact crash scenarios, while previous experimental and epidemiological studies have presented contrasting results. This study aimed to quantify the variations in occupant response in side impact conditions using a human body computational model integrated with a full vehicle model."

Financial support for this research came from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Waterloo, "The model was analyzed for a Moving Deformable Barrier side impact at 61 km/h to assess two pre-crash arm positions, the incorporation of a seatbelt, and a thorax air bag on thorax response. The occupant response was evaluated using chest compression, the viscous criterion and thoracic spinal curvature. The arm position accounted for largest changes in the thorax response (106%) compared to the presence of the airbag and seatbelt systems (75%). It was also noted that the results were dependant on the method and location of thorax response measurement and this should be investigated further. Assessment using lateral displacement of the thoracic spine correlated positively with chest compression and Viscous Criterion, with the benefit of evaluating whole thorax response and provides a useful metric to compare occupant response for different side impact safety systems. The thoracic side airbag was found to increase the chest compression for the driving arm position (+ 70%), and reduced the injury metrics for the vertical arm position (- 17%)."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "This study demonstrated the importance of occupant arm position on variability in thoracic response, and provides insight for future design and optimization of side impact safety systems."

For more information on this research see: Occupant thorax response variations due to arm position and restraint systems in side impact crash scenarios. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2017;106():173-180. Accident Analysis and Prevention can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Accident Analysis and Prevention - www.journals.elsevier.com/accident-analysis-and-prevention/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from D.S. Cronin, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2017.05.017. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Keywords for this news article include: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, North and Central America, Risk Management, Epidemiology, University of Waterloo.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2017, NewsRx LLC