Crashworthiness of vehicle-to-pole collisions using a hybrid III 3-year-old child dummy

To date, statistics indicate that motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury for children despite improved crashworthiness of vehicles and child restraint systems, since children are at risk for devastating head and neck injuries due to their fragile physiology. Thus, this thesis focused on minimizing child injuries experienced during frontal vehicle-to-pole collisions by improving on the safety and energy absorption of existing traffic pole structures. A finite element computer model, using LS-DYNA software, was used to simulate crash events in order to determine the influence of pole structural and material characteristics on the injury parameters of a 3-year-old child dummy occupant. It was concluded that the anchored base support, and the embedded pole in soil systems provide desirable crashworthy results. In addition, it is recommended to mandate traffic protection devices in all areas with poor energy absorbing characteristics that resemble non-deformable objects.