Low severity frontal crashes that cause injury to elderly occupants

According to NASS data, for belted occupants exposed to frontal crashes, approximately 69% of the MAIS 3+ injuries are in crashes with delta-V less than or equal to 40km/h. For occupants 65 and older, 85% of the MAIS 3+ injuries and 56% of the fatalities are in these lower severity crashes. Occupants age 65 and older account for approximately 33% of fatal injuries in frontal crashes with a severity of 40km/h delta-V or lower. For elderly occupants involved in these lower severity crashes, the chest/abdomen is the most frequently injured body region, accounting for 55% of the MAIS 3+ injuries. Cases in the US and UK were examined to identify opportunities for further injury reduction. The criteria were: belted occupants age 60 and older with MAIS 3+ chest injuries; of vehicles model year 1998 and later; frontal crashes. The case review indicates that the air bags are performing well. The most frequent crash mode was a far-side corner impact (30%). Run-off-the-road and across the centerline were also frequent (22%), particularly among the older drivers. A large opportunity exists to improve safety systems by reducing injuries from crashes with inertia component toward the vehicle center. Accident avoidance features to reduce lane departure and intersection hazards could also be beneficial. For the covering abstract see ITRD E141762.