Main effects of driving posture changes in frontal crashes due to ageing

Abstract

The ageing population is expected to increase substantially in the near future. The fatal crash rates (per mile travelled) involving older drivers are considerably higher than those of younger drivers. This study evaluates the main effects of driving posture changes due to ageing in a frontal crash through finite element simulations involving the Hybrid III dummy model. The idea that driving posture for older drivers tends to be closer to the steering wheel whereas younger drivers are more laid back is incorporated into the study. Contracted body joint angles prove to be beneficial for the Head Injury Criteria but the opposite occurs for the chest acceleration. When the driver's torso contracts approximately 3°, the HIC15 decreases 5% while the chest acceleration increases 3%. Posture does not affect the pelvis acceleration.