A Method to Evaluate Vehicle Impact Speeds in Passenger Car-Pedestrian Accidents

This paper aimed to research the relationship between the wrap around distance (WAD) to head contact and vehicle impact speed based on real pedestrian traffic accidents with video. A team was established to collect passenger car-pedestrian accident cases occurring between July 2011 and July 2015 in Chongqing, China. A total of 15 pedestrian crashes were selected into the sample. Impact speeds were calculated by a video analysis technology, and the WAD was revised according to the average height of pedestrians involved in the sample. The relationship between the WAD and impact speed was analyzed using linear regression analysis. We propose a method to evaluate the impact speed in passenger car-pedestrian. These results will contribute to the development of judicial identification and research of pedestrian injury.