Injury Mechanism of the Head and Face of Children in Side Impacts

This study assessed the primary involved physical components attributed to the head and face injuries of child occupants seated directly adjacent to the stuck side of a vehicle in a side impact collision. The findings presented in this study were based upon analysis of the National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS) for the years 1993-2007. Injury analysis was conducted for those nearside child occupants aged between 1-12 years-old. The involved children were classified as toddler-type, booster-type, or belted-type occupants. These classifications were based upon the recommended restraint system for the occupant. Injury mechanisms were assessed for the child occupants in each of the three groups. A detailed study of NASS/CDS cases was conducted to provide a greater understanding of the associated injury mechanisms. This examination involved the analysis of occupant injury records, scene diagrams, and both the post-crash vehicle photographs and damage measurements. The NASS analysis confirmed previous findings that the head and face was the most injured body region. The analysis further showed that the side interior surface of the vehicle was the primary contact point for the head and face, accounting for the greatest percentage of the HARM to these body regions.