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Deterministic Throw Model for Longitudinal Rear-End Vehicle to Cyclist Collisions

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Abstract

In this paper a throw distance model for vehicle-cyclist collisions is presented, based on a deterministic approach with a cyclist mass point representation. Vehicle-cyclist collisions are characterized by three distinct impacts, which determine the entirety of the cyclist’s kinematics, also throw distance implicitly. Cyclist kinematics are analyzed by breaking down the motion into multiple phases and assessing the corresponding distance travelled by the cyclist for each phase. The model takes into account massic and cyclist launch parameters, as well as road declivity and ground friction. The verification of the model was carried out in two methods. First, model output data was compared with the results of three real-scale crash-tests performed in a rear impact typology. Secondly, a multibody model was generated for two of the carried-out crash-tests and used to simulate collisions at different vehicle impact velocities (4.1 ∼ 27.8 m/s). Input data for the model was extracted from each simulation and used to compare the results yielded by the model and the multibody software. A comparison between model output data and available field data was also undertaken.

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Abbreviations

vo :

vehicle impact velocity, m/s

vo′:

speed of the vehicle-cyclist-bicycle assembly, immediately upon the first contact, m/s

v:

vehicle velocity during the secondary impact, m/s

v′:

vehicle velocity at the moment the cyclist is launched off the vehicle, m/s

vc :

cyclist speed at the moment of launching phase, m/s

vcx :

cyclist speed on X axis at the moment of launching phase, m/s

acy :

cyclist acceleration on Y axis at the moment of launching phase, m/s2

vcy :

cyclist speed on Y axis at the moment of launching phase, m/s

a:

average brake deceleration of the vehicle, m/s2

acx :

cyclist acceleration on X axis at the moment of launching phase, m/s2

mv :

vehicle mass, kg

mc :

cyclist mass, kg

mb :

bicycle mass, kg

t0 :

time at which the primary impact between the vehicle and the bicycle takes place, s

t1 :

time at which the secondary impact between the vehicle’s windshield and the head/thorax of the cyclist, s

t1′:

time at which the cyclist is launched in flying phase, s

t2 :

time at which the first contact between the cyclist and the ground takes place, s

t3 :

time at which the cyclist stops on the ground in the final position, s

hc :

the height of the cyclist at the launch moment, m

s0 :

the horizontal distance from the extremity of the vehicle’s frontal profile to the cyclist’s CG at the time of the primary impact, m

s1 :

the space covered by the vehicle-cyclist assembly in the impact subphase, m

s1′:

the space covered by the vehicle-cyclist assembly in the transport subphase, m

s2 :

the space covered by the cyclist in the flying phase, m

s3 :

the space covered by the cyclist in the sliding phase, m

Dc :

the total throw distance of the cyclist, m

Dc,r :

the reference cyclist throw distance determined through staged-tests, m

CG:

center of gravity

β:

road inclination angle, degree

α:

cyclist launch angle, degree

μ:

cyclist-ground drag coefficient

Δ:

absolute error

δ:

percentage relative error

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Acknowledgement

The authors thank for the support offered by the ICDT Brasov Research Institute and the INEC National Forensic Institute, Romania.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Automotive and Transportation Department, Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, 50024, Romania

    Ovidiu Andrei Condrea, George Radu Togănel & Daniel Dragos Truscă

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  1. Ovidiu Andrei Condrea
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  2. George Radu Togănel
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  3. Daniel Dragos Truscă
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Correspondence to George Radu Togănel.

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Condrea, O.A., Togănel, G.R. & Truscă, D.D. Deterministic Throw Model for Longitudinal Rear-End Vehicle to Cyclist Collisions. Int.J Automot. Technol. 22, 37–46 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-021-0005-7

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