Frontal collisions produce the highest frequency in fatalities and injuries in road accidents, the costs to the European society alone being more than EUR 160 billion each year. Even though the European Frontal Directive became effective only in 1998, further research is required to better assess the protection offered to car occupants in frontal impacts. An important motive for this is found in the current Hybrid-III crash test dummy that has shown important deficiencies in human likeness and injury assessment capabilities.
The 'Improved frontal impact protection through a world frontal impact dummy' (FID) project aimed to contribute to a further reduction of the amount of injuries and fatalities in frontal collisions. The most important achievement of the project is the introduction of an improved a frontal impact crash test dummy with realistic movements and injury indicating measurements for future automotive crash testing.
The FID consortium has defined the requirements for an advanced frontal impact dummy based on new biomechanical and accident investigations and has recommended a design that meets the demands in terms of biofidelity, anthropometry, durability and injury assessment capabilities. The FID consortium consisted of six experienced and multidisciplinary partners from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. An important dimension within the project was that of harmonisation of safety regulations world-wide and in particular between Europe and the United States.
The results identified of the FID project as defined in the Technical implementation plan are:
1. Identification of the principal occupant injuries in frontal impact car crashes and the injuries for which a legislative frontal impact dummy should have the capability to measure injury risk.
Owners: BASt and TRL
2. New biomechanical data concerning the behaviour of the human thorax/shoulder, pelvis/femur/knee and the lower leg during frontal impacts.
Owners: INRETS, UPM, UoH, TNO and TRL
3. Set of requirements for frontal impact dummies, consisting of biofidelity requirements for all important body parts, repeatability, durability and anthropometry requirements based on the most recent biomechanical data.
Owners: TNO, BASt, INRETS, UPM, UoH and TRL
4. Review and revise (where appropriate) injury assessment values for a legislative frontal impact dummy, with special focus on the lower leg.
Owners: TNO and TRL
5. A prototype instrumented frontal impact dummy (THOR-FT), based on the THOR-Alpha design, 50th percentile male. Suitable for inclusion in the Frontal Directive as successor of the Hybrid-III dummy.
Owners: BASt, UPM, TNO and TRL. With the IPR at TNO
6. A computer model of the THOR-Alpha.
Owners: UPM, TNO and TRL. With the IPR at UPM and TNO