Conditions of possible head impacts for standing passengers in public transportation: an experimental study

Thomas Robert (1) , Philippe Beillas (1) , Alain Maupas (1) , Jean-Pierre Verriest (1)

1 LBMC UMR T9406 - Laboratoire de Biomécanique et Mécanique des Chocs

Standing passenger safety is currently a major challenge for the development of public transportation. One of the current difficulties to overcome this problem is the lack of knowledge about the motion of passengers following a minor incident, such as an emergency braking or a slight collision. This study brings new experimental data about the head kinematics of volunteers in situations representative of typical public transportation incidents. Two levels of perturbation were tested - an emergency braking and a minor collision, combined with three initial postures - freestanding, using a backrest, and holding a vertical bar. Data were obtained for (1) the three-dimensional head trajectories; (2) the maximal excursions of the head along the longitudinal axis; and (3) corridors of the head tangential velocity versus its longitudinal displacement. Even though there are limitations, these data can be used as a first estimate to predict the risks of impact between the head of passengers and their surrounding environment. They also provide insight into the impact velocity of this eventual collision. Furthermore, they highlight the influence of the level of perturbation and of the restraint device possibly used. These data are mainly intended to be used by designers of public transportation vehicles to improve the future interior layouts with regard to the standing passenger safety.

Domaines: Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]; Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]

Thomas Robert, Philippe Beillas, Alain Maupas, Jean-Pierre Verriest. Conditions of possible head impacts for standing passengers in public transportation: an experimental study. International Journal of Crashworthiness, 2007, 12 (3), pp.319-327. ⟨hal-00505945⟩