The present paper aims to determine the vehicle kinematic parameters during braking, namely the braking time and space needed. Considering different travel conditions, dry and wet roads, we put forward two methods to determine the braking capability. First, we resort to the analytical method; hence the total braking time needs to be considered as obtained from the necessary braking time until the vehicle stops, or the braking process is completed, i.e. the sum of the time due to physiological delays, the time due to involuntary delays and the actual braking time until the vehicle stops. Next, through the Virtual Crash software platform, we carried out a case study to determine the kinematic parameters of a braking vehicle under different travel conditions. The virtual modelling developed for our case study features braking analyses on a track in alignment. The initial parameters of the vehicle and the travel conditions, i.e. the adhesion coefficient value, are similar as in the analytical method. By processing the numerical results, we developed a comparative analysis of the vehicle kinematic parameters for the two methods used, focusing on validating the performance and effectiveness of the modelling method in terms of the time needed to set new initial parameters.

Abstract. Within the entire territory of the EU Member States, traffic accidents cause yearly over 37,000 deaths and about 1.2 million injured, as well as damages estimated, annually, at 145 billion Euros. Under the circumstances, a series of strategies and measures have been adopted over the past two decades in order to reduce the number of victims caused by traffic accidents, hence preventing some of the worst consequences. Aiming at improving road traffic safety, joint efforts have been carried out to estimate and identify those factors leading to the occurrence of accidents, in order to adopt and implement the most appropriate measures to reduce the risk of collisions. The dynamics of a traffic accident is different from one case to another; thus, safety measures can only be enforced following in-depth analyses on the occurrence of traffic accidents. The main objective of our research study is to design and develop an analysis model on the occurrence and the circumstances leading to traffic accidents, considering at the same time some main characteristics of the driver, such as age, gender, etc.

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The present underpins a computer-assisted investigation regarding the driver’s behavior and the injuries suffered in frontal vehicle collision, more precisely the injuries suffered in the thorax area. Hence, by means of the LS-Dyna software package we have carried out two series of virtual simulations with a dummy positioned on the driver’s place, i.e. belted and unbelted. For the simulation we have selected a Hybrid III 5th percentile female dummy. Aiming at achieving a simulation that would display a high accuracy degree with respect to the driver’s kinematic behaviour at the impact moment, our complete model also included, besides the dummy, the elements in the habitable: the seat, the seat belt, the steering wheel, the airbag and the dash board. Thus, the focus of the undertaken study was to establish the accelerations in the driver’s thorax area as well as the injury degree, expressed by the CSI (Chest Severity Index). The results obtained validated our hypothesis in that passive safety systems, i.e. the seat belt, diminish considerably the driver’s injuries degree in case of a road traffic accident.

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