Abstract
With the increasing number of pedestrians struck by automobiles and changes in the fleet of vehicles on the roadway, it is important for trauma surgeons and the automotive industry to understand pedestrian kinematics in a crash. This is a report of an in-depth pedestrian crash study at the Inova Regional Trauma Center to understand pedestrian crash kinematics and sources of actual injuries in an effort to validate laboratory predicted findings.
The Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) enrolled 67 pedestrian crashes from 2001-2007 that were struck by passenger vehicles that include SUVs, vans and light pick-up trucks. The pedestrian’s injuries and vehicle damage were reviewed and injury sources were determined by an interdisciplinary team composed of clinicians and engineers. CIREN data was then compared to 552 Pedestrian Crash Data Study (PCDS) cases that were collected and analyzed during 1994-1998 by NHTSA.
There were 67 pedestrians in the CIREN database who sustained a total of 429 injuries with an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) of 2 or greater. The three most injured body regions with an AIS of 2 or greater from the CIREN database are the lower extremity (35.9%), head (28.8%) and thorax (11.5%). The most injurious vehicle components were the hood (17%) followed by the bumper (15%) and windshield (13%). There were 542 pedestrians in the PCDS database who sustained a total of 4,055 injuries (1,465 injuries with AIS or 2 or greater). The three most injured body regions with AIS of 2 or greater from the PCDS database are the lower extremity (31%), head (36%) and upper extremity (17%).
The bumper continues to be the most injurious vehicle component for all AIS > 2 lower extremity injuries in both databases. Likewise the windshield is the most common injury source for the head. These findings indicate a need for continued improvement in pedestrian protective features on vehicles.
Keywords: CIREN, Injuries, Pedestrians, Real-World Crashes