The analysis of the influence of the rear seat passenger position on the kinematics and dynamic loads on a torso and legs during a road accident

The analysis carried out by the authors indicates high threat to the rear seat passengers in passenger cars during a road accident. Vehicle designers indicate potential threats for passengers when they take a position in a car which is unexpected by a manufacturer of passive protection systems. Based on that, the tests were prepared in order to consider several different positions of a rear seat passenger. In particular, attention was paid to a threat to passengers when they take a position unexpected by a manufacturer of the passive protection systems in a car. Indicating and justifying a need to adjust the operation of the individual protection means to a passenger anatomy and current passenger position in a car in order to optimize his protection makes an important aim of these tests. This paper presents the results of the tests performed with a Hybrid III dummy, size M50, placed in three different positions in the back seat of a car. During each test, a series of physical values were measured and the motion of a dummy against the car body and the car interior components were filmed. The effects resulting from a change of a passenger’s position, observed on the courses of dynamic loads occurring during an accident, were analysed. Despite of small changes to a passenger’s position, their significant influence on the dummy movement during a frontal collision of a car and an obstacle was observed.