The protection of pedestrians is the most important global road safety priority. This is the first book to provide a detailed treatment of the physical processes which occur when pedestrians and cyclists are struck by motorised vehicles.

The principal focus is to show how pedestrian and cyclist pre-impact movements and vehicle design influence subsequent injury outcome. This involves recourse to several academic disciplines: epidemiology, mechanics, and anatomy/physiology. Therefore this book presents pedestrian and cyclist impact from a biomechanical perspective. It features a detailed treatment of the physics of pedestrian and cyclist impact, as well as a review of the accident databases and the relevant injury criteria used in the assessment of pedestrian and cyclist injuries. New data detailing the kinematics of the impact processes are presented, and the relationship between vehicle impact speed and projection distance and the relative importance of ground related injuries compared to vehicle related injuries is assessed in detail. The final focus is on the complex relationship between vehicle design and pedestrian and cyclist injury outcome in the event of a collision.

This book is a "one stop" source for understanding the mechanics of pedestrian and cyclist impact and is therefore of significant value to both new and established researchers.

Zusammenfassung

The aim of this book is to present pedestrian injuries from a biomechanical perspective. We aim to give a detailed treatment of the physics of pedestrian impact, as well as a review of the accident databases and the relevant injury criteria used to assess pedestrian injuries. A further focus will be the effects on injury outcome of (1) pedestrian/vehicle position and velocity at impact and (2) the influence of vehicle design on injury outcome. Most of the content of this book has been published by these and other authors in various journals, but this book will provide a comprehensive treatment of the biomechanics of pedestrian impacts for the first time. It will therefore be of value to new and established researchers alike.

Inhalt

Pedestrian and Cyclist Injuries.- Pedestrian and Cyclist Impact Kinematics.- The Relationship between Vehicle Impact Speed and Pedestrian and Cyclist Projection Distance.- Injury Mechanisms and Injury Criteria.- Vehicle Design Standards for Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety.- Mathematical Formulations for Impact Modelling.- Models for Simulating Impact.- Ground Contact Injuries.- The Influence of Vehicle Design on Pedestrian and Cyclist Injuries.- Conclusions and Future Perspectives.