title: A study of fatality risk and head dynamic response of cyclist and pedestrian based on passenger car accident data analysis and simulations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study aims to compare the fatality risk of pedestrians and cyclists in urban traffic through an analysis of real-world accident data in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, 438 cases, including 371 pedestrian cases and 67 cyclist cases, were selected as a sample from the accidents collected through an in-depth investigation of vehicle accidents in China. A statistical measurement of the fatality risk with respect to impact velocity was carried out using a logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, 21 pedestrian and 24 cyclist accidents were selected for reconstruction with the MADYMO program. A comparative analysis was conducted based on the results from accident analysis and simulations for the fatality risk and head dynamic response of pedestrians and cyclists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that the vehicle impact velocity has a significant relationship with the fatality risk of both pedestrians and cyclists. The fatality risks at 50 km/h are more than twice as high as the risk at 40 km/h and about 5 times as high as that at 30 km/h for both pedestrians and cyclists. Moreover, cyclists suffered slightly lower fatality risk compared to pedestrians. The corresponding vehicle impact velocity is 65.4 km/h for pedestrian with a fatality risk of 50 percent, whereas for cyclists it is 67.6 km/h. In addition, the head impact conditions between pedestrians and cyclists are different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings offer potential contributions for establishing a more reasonable speed limit for urban traffic in China and generating strategies for cyclists' and pedestrians' head protection.
authors.affiliation: a Research Center of Vehicle and Traffic Safety, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacture for Vehicle Body , Hunan University , Changsha , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Guibing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jikuang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking / Q000293:injuries*
keywords: cyclist; fatality risk; head dynamic response; pedestrian