Comparison of Injury Predictors and Kinematics of Human Body Models Representing Average Female and Male Road Users in Car Crashes

Differences in injury risk between females and males are often reported in field data analysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in kinematics and injury risk between average female and male car occupants, pedestrians and cyclists, under well-controlled boundary conditions. Therefore, a simulation study comprising the newly introduced VIVA+ human body models was performed, representing the first model line-up consisting of average female and male models originating from the same base model. A generic vehicle interior, detailed seat models and a generic vehicle exterior were used to simulate crash scenarios close to those currently tested in consumer information tests. Differences in injury risks, load distribution and injury mechanisms were observed between the average female and male VIVA+ models for different load cases and body regions. While in some load cases, loading was more severe for the average female, opposite trends have also been observed. In order to understand trends observed in the field and to derive appropriate countermeasures, further variations in load cases and anthropometries should be considered in future work using the tools presented in this study.