Improve Assessment and Enhance Safety for the Evaluation of Whiplash Protection Systems Addressing Male and Female Occupants in Different Seat Configurations by Introducing Virtual Methods in Consumer Tests

Low severity rear vehicle impacts can cause Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) which is one of the most common traumas leading to permanent medical impairment. Therefore, new vehicles are being equipped with anti‐whiplash systems. Those systems are rated in consumer tests such as the Euro NCAP, evaluating loads on a dummy based on a 50th percentile male in one seat configuration. However, many vehicle occupants adjust their seats differently from this particular seat configuration. Studies show that females have a higher risk of sustaining these injuries, by up to 3.1 times. To address these issues, 54 simulations comprising one seat model, one male (BioRID II) and one female (EvaRID) occupant model, and several different seat configurations were evaluated. Results show, for example, that the backrest angle can influence loads on the neck (e.g. NIC) by up to 78% for the BioRID II occupant model. To address both males and females, and different seat configurations, it is proposed that the current consumer testing protocol be extended to include virtual testing. Experimental tests are suggested to be complemented by at least 12 virtual Finite Element Method simulations in order to address differing seat configurations and the population for which no physical dummy is available.