The Effect of Bonnet Skin and Bonnet Reinforcement Thickness on Pedestrian Head Injuries in Collisions

Nowadays, automotive manufacturers are more and more paying attention to protecting pedestrians besides occupant’s safety, due to thousands of pedestrians are killed or maimed seriously in automotive-related accidents annually as well as the increasingly strict requirements of the automotive markets. Previous research has shown that head and face injuries in car-pedestrian accidents account for 60% of all pedestrian fatal injuries, whereas 17.3% of head injuries were due to the bonnet. There have been many design solutions for the bonnet to protect the pedestrian’s head in the collision, including the solution to reduce bonnet stiffness and bonnet skin thickness. In this study, the effect of bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement thickness on pedestrian head injuries in collisions will be analyzed by using simulations of head form to bonnet top test with some value of bonnet skin and bonnet reinforcement thickness. The results of this study will be useful in design bonnet structure for pedestrian safety in collisions.