EvaRID - Anthropometric and Biomechanical Specification of a Finite Element Dummy Model of an Average Female for Rear Impact Testing

Neck injury due to low severity vehicle crashes is of worldwide concern and it is well established that t he risk of such injuries are higher for females than f or males, even in similar crash conditions. In additio n, recently developed protective systems have shown to be less protective of females than males. Hence the re is a need for improved tools when developing and evaluating the performance of protective systems fo r occupants. The objective of this study was to develop a finite element model of a 50 th percentile female rear impact crash dummy model. The anthropometry of the 50 th percentile female was specified based on data found in the scientific published literature and is calle d EvaRID (Eva - female/RID - Rear Impact Dummy). EvaRID is based on the same design concept as the 50 th percentile male rear impact dummy, the BioRID. A first version, EvaRID V1.0, was developed in LS- Dyna. The dynamic response of EvaRID V1.0 was compared to data from rear impact tests with female volunteers. It was found that it is necessary to fu rther adjust the stiffness of the joints in the spine in order to fully mimic the motion of the volunteers. In fut ure, the EvaRID dummy model has the potential to be a valuable tool when evaluating and developing seats and whiplash protection systems.