REAR SEATS WHIPLASH STUDY

CTAG-IDIADA Safety Technologies SL.

Miguel Ángel Castro García
Javier Pérez Pérez
Oswaldo Vázquez Dávila

JUNE 2012
 CTAG-IDIADA
 INTRODUCTION
 LOW SPEED REAR IMPACT
 SOLUTIONS AND REGULATIONS OF WHIPLASH
 MOTIVATION OF THE STUDY
 METHODOLOGY and RESULTS OF THE STUDY
 CONCLUSIONS

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 CTAG-IDIADA PRESENTATION

CTAG-IDIADA Safety Technology is a joint-venture between CTAG

(Galician Technological Automotive Centre) and IDIADA Automotive
Technology (Institute for Automotive Applied Research).

The activity is focused on Passive Safety R&D, CAE, testing and

engineering services to the automotive sector.
CTAG-IDIADA is an Euro NCAP accredited laboratory for the conduction
and assessment of WHIPLASH tests

www.ctag.com www.idiada.com

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 INTRODUCTION

What is whiplash injury?

 Very common neck injury which usually occurs in the cities in low speed rear-
end collisions.
 The occupants of the vehicle crashed suffer a change of velocity through the
seat back, which pushes the persons forward. During this impulse the occupant's
head, held by the neck without being pushed in the impact, exerts on the neck a
whiplash effect that causes neck injuries.

High Whiplash costs

 At low speed, whiplash injury does not cause fatalities but it ends up in long term
recovery cervical injuries and high costs due to sick leaves and medical
expenses (Whiplash injuries are difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat and are
estimated to cost the European society up to 10 billion euro annually).

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 INTRODUCTION

Whiplash solutions and regulations

 The headrests, help to prevent the most severe injuries at high speed
crashes but they could do not avoid the whiplash effect at lower speeds, if
they are not designed for this protection or if they are not correctly used.

 Euro NCAP includes protection tests against “whiplash” injuries in this type
of crashes at the front seats based on biomechanical studies.

Static/geometric assessment
Dynamic assessment
Specific measurement devices, strict testing protocol, and
several biomechanical criterions

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 INTRODUCTION

Dynamic assessment: 3 test (3 severities) Static/geometric assessment

SCORE:
3points/test
max 9 points

SCORE:
-1 to +1
point

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 INTRODUCTION

Motivation of this study

 The probability of occupancy rear seats and suffer an accident is
only 12%.
 But the 63% of the rear seat passengers were not adequately
protected by a suitably positioned head restraint.  The risk of
suffering a neck injury at the rear seats is higher than at the front
seats:
 Most of cases in rear seats are not adjusted in height
 The rear headrest have not been design specifically to
prevent low speed whiplash injuries
  it is a good idea study “whiplash” in rear seats.

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

 METHODOLOGY

Some samples of rear seats from different models of cars were taken( 2009-2010
European top sellers cars). This study did not either intent to compare models but to
define a methodology for the general optimization against whiplash of the rear
seats. (manufacturers and models were omitted in the study).

The used methodology can be summed up in four stages:

1. Static measurement
2. Test and dynamic measuring
3. Generation and correlation of the simulation model
4. Study of the influent parameters in rear seat whiplash

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT

1. Static measurement
 Try to follow the Euro NCAP protocol for front seats. This allows to check if the
application of this protocol is feasible and its limitations regarding rear seats

Static/geometric assessment

SCORE:
-1 to +1 point

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT

 Results and analysis of static measurements

Worst case position Mid position

Vehicle Backset Height Backset Height RCAR
(mm) (mm) Assess. (mm) (mm) Assess.
Supermini * * --- 50.3 106.7 -1 POOR
Small
POOR
Family Car * * --- 29.7 101.2 -1
Large
GOOD
Family Car 77.3 133.3 -1 60 52.3 -0.308
Executive
car ACCEPTABLE
(Vehicle1) ** 200.7 -1 77.7 61.7 -0.543
Executive
car ACCEPTABLE
(Vehicle2) 74.3 97 -1 65 65 -0.625
Small MPV ** 184.7 -1 66 108.8 -1 POOR
Small MPV
POOR
25º ** 183 -1 57.3 105.7 -1
Large MPV * * --- 50.3 74 -0.85 ACCEPTABLE
Large Off-
GOOD
Road * * --- 40.3 40.7 -0.018
Large Off-
GOOD
Road 25º * * --- 49 41.7 -0.043
* The headrest, when placed in the worst case position, does not allow the use of the
seat
** Not possible to measure the backset. The headrest is below the head in the worst
case position.

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT

2. Test and dynamic measuring

 A sedan was chosen as a good sample representative for the usual rear seats. We follow the
CTAG-IDIADA methodology to design seat against whiplash.

Full dummy testing

Subsystem testing (components)
Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo
 METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT

3. Generation and correlation of the simulation model

 Inverse engineering for rear seat mesh

 Correlation of specific subsystem tests

 Complete model with cases of the three dynamic Euro NCAP tests

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 RESULTS OF THE STUDY

 Results of the base model’s correlation

Sub-system correlation results

Low pulse Medium pulse High pulse

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 METHODOLOGY OF THE PROJECT

4. Study of the influent parameters in whiplash

 Using simulation to study seat parameters, in order to evaluate the most important
biomechanical values of the BioRID II Dummy: NIC, Nkm, HRV (Head Rebound
Velocity), Neck Shear, Neck Tension, T1 acceleration and THRC.

Placing of a boot cover bar behind the seat back.

Head restraint regulation in a completely retracted position.
Head restraint regulation in a completely elevated position.
Different foam materials of the head restraint.
Different lock types.
Different foam materials of the seat back.
Clearance between the sleeves and head restraint support.
Other interior structures of the head restraint.
Rigidity of the head restraint’s support fixation.

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 RESULTS OF THE STUDY

 Analysis of some parameters with the simulation model

•The head restraint’s position

Great influence in all values

•The head restraint’s and seat back’s foams.

head’s rebound velocity
head and thorax kinematics  NIC value and contact time

•The rigidity of the head restraint’s union support to the seat back.
influence on neck’s Fx and Fz and Nkm

•The rigidity of the head restraint’s union support to the seat back.
the head and thorax kinematics

•The lock that acts as support of the seat back to the vehicle
timing in which different events happen

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

 CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY

 CONCLUSIONS

 It is possible to increase the whiplash protection in rear seats. The CTAG-

IDIADA methodology shown in this study is adequate to use in this
challenge
 Some parameters are very important  a good headrest height gives
whiplash protection improvements.
 Most of cars should need to increase the rear seats whiplash protection.
A good start, easy to reach, is to increase the headrest height regulation.
 Advising the correct height is not enough to reach the target, so other
ways are interesting (i.e discomfort in case of wrong heigth, visual or
acoustic signals etc.) FMVSS and GTR
 EuroNCAP will adapt whiplash assessment protocol to the rear seats
specific requirements (Protocol by end 2012 and Introduction in
2014)  it is time to prepare it!!

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo

Thank you for your attention

Additional information in CTAG BOOTH or contact with

CTAG-IDIADA Safety Technology S.L.

Polígono Industrial “A Granxa” parcelas 249-250
E-36400 Porriño (Pontevedra) SPAIN
Tel: +34 986 900 300 Fax: +34 986 900 301
E-mail: ctag-idiada@ctag-idiada.com
GPS Coordinates: N42º 06.13’ W08º 37.05’

Rear seat whiplash study 2012 testing expo