Investigation of Occupant Fatalities and Injuries During the Impact of Vehicle and Road Safety Barrier

Authors

  • Artūras Keršys Dept of Transport Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, Kęstučio g. 27, 2 44312 Kaunas, Lithuania
  • Algis Pakalnis State Enterprise “Transport and Road Research Institute”, I. Kanto g. 25, P.O. Box 2082, 44009 Kaunas, Lithuania
  • Vaidas Lukoševičius Dept of Transport Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, Kęstučio g. 27, 2 44312 Kaunas, Lithuania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2011.01

Keywords:

road restraint systems, safety barriers, injury criteria, computer simulations of impact

Abstract

The main purpose of any road restraint system is saving human life and minimizing injuries. The efficiency of road restraint system is its capability to hold vehicle on the road, to decrease occupant injuries and damage to the impacted objects. The road restraint systems currently used in Lithuania meet the European Standard EN 1317. Acceleration Severity Index (ASI) and Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV) are derivative values used in this standard mainly to describe simulation of vehicle and safety barrier impact situations and to study vehicle crash dynamics. This paper presents simulation of different situations of vehicle and road restraint system crash. Computer impact simulation analysis was performed as well as comparable investigation of conventional injury criterions Head Impact Criteria (HIC) and those used in the European Standard EN 1317.

References

Bayton, D. A. F.; Long, R.; Fourlaris, G. 2009. Dynamic Responses of Connections in Road Safety Barriers, Materials & Design 30(3): 635–641. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2008.05.048

Bogdevičius, M.; Prentkovskis, O. 2001. Simulation of Road Guardrails, Transportas [Transport Engineering] 16(4): 123–128.

Cansiz, O. F.; Atahan, A. O. 2006. Crash Test Simulation of a Modified Thrie-Beam High Containment Level Guardrail under NCHRP Report 350. TL 4-12 Conditions, International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems 13(1–2): 2–18. doi:10.1504/IJHVS.2006.009114

Cristoforou, Z.; Cohen, S.; Karlaftis, G. 2010. Vehicle Occupant Injury Severity on Highways: An Empirical Investigation, Accident Analysis & Prevention 42(6): 1606–1620. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2010.03.019

Huang, M. 2002. Vehicle Crash Mechanics. Dearborn, Michigan: CRC Press. 504 p. ISBN 9780849301049. doi:10.1201/9781420041866

Nasution, R. P.; Siregar, R. A.; Fuad, K.; Adom, A. H. 2009. The Effect of ASI (Acceleration Severity Index) to Different Crash Velocities, in Proc. of International Conference on Applications and Design in Mechanical Engineering (ICADME). October 11–13, 2009, Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia. 64H: 1–6.

Opiela, K.; Kan, S.; Marzougui, D. 2007. Development of a Finite Element Model for W-Beam Guardrails. Research Report NCAC 2007-T-004. George Washington University National Crash Analysis Centre, Federal Highway Administration. 7 p.

Prentkovskis, O.; Beliatynskij, A.; Juodvalkienė, E.; Prentkovskienė, R. 2010. A Study of the Deflections of Metal Road Guardrail Post, The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering 5(2): 104–109. doi:10.3846/bjrbe.2010.15

Prentkovskis, O.; Beliatynskij, A.; Prentkovskienė, R.; Dyakov, I.; Dabulevičienė, L. 2009. A Study of the Deflections of Metal Road Guardrail Elements, Transport 24(3): 225–233. doi:10.3846/1648-4142.2009.24.225-233

Ren, Z.; Vesenjak, M. 2005. Computational and Experimental Crash Analysis of the Road Safety Barrier, Engineering Failure Analysis 12(6): 963–973. doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2004.12.033

Ross, Jr.; H. E.; Sicking, D. L.; Zimmer, R. A.; Michie, J. D. 1993. Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. NCHRP Report 350. Transportation Research Board, Washington, D. C. 74 p.

Shojaati, M. 2003. Correlation Between Injury Risk and Impact Severity Index ASI, in 3rd Swiss Transport Research Conference (STRC 03). 19–21 March, 2003, Monte Verità/Ascona, Switzerland.

Sennah, K.; Samaan, M.; Elmarakbi, A. 2003. Impact Performance of Flexible Guardrail Systems Using LS-DYNA, in 4th European LS-DYNA Conference. 22–23 May, 2003, Ulm, Germany. BIII: 35–44.

Tabiei, A.; Wu, J. 2000. Roadmap for Crashworthiness Finite Element Simulation of Roadside Safety Structures, Finite Element in Analysis and Design 34(2): 145–157. doi:10.1016/S0168-874X(99)00035-9

Vasenjak, M.; Borovinšek, M.; Ren, Z. 2009. Computational Simulations of Road Safety Barriers Using LS-DYNA, in 7th European LS-DYNA Conference, 14–15 May, 2009, Salzburg, Austria. BIII: 11–18.

Šliupas, T. 2009. The Impact of Road Parameters and the Surrounding Area on Traffic Accidents, Transport 24(1): 42–47. doi:10.3846/1648-4142.2009.24.42-47

Šušteršič, G.; Grabec, I.; Prebil, I. 2007. Statistical Model of a Vehicle-to-Barrier Collision, International Journal of Impact Engineering 34(10): 1585–1593. doi:10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2006.09.093

Downloads

Published

27.03.2011

How to Cite

Keršys, A., Pakalnis, A., & Lukoševičius, V. (2011). Investigation of Occupant Fatalities and Injuries During the Impact of Vehicle and Road Safety Barrier. The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering, 6(1), 5-11. https://doi.org/10.3846/bjrbe.2011.01