The Effect of Roll Velocity and Roof-to-Ground Impact Angle on Injuries in Lateral Rollovers

Abstract

The Engineering Meetings Board has approved this paper for publication. It has successfully completed SAE's peer review process under the supervision of the session organizer. This process requires a minimum of three (3) reviews by industry experts. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SAE. ABSTRACTA previously developed two-dimensional model of a vehicle in a lateral roll ) was used in this study to analytically evaluate the effect of vehicle roll angle and roll velocity on roof-impact ∆V and consequent occupant injury mechanism and risk. Both occupants adjacent to (near-side) and remote from (far-side) the rollover's leading side were evaluated. Injury evaluation was limited to head and neck/spinal injuries.The vehicle's roll angle at the time of roof-impact dramatically affected the local ∆V at the point of head-toroof contact.