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Dynamic Simulation For Car-Bicycle Collision Based On Pa-Crash

Jian LUO1,2 Wanxia ZHOU1 and Haiyu XIAO1

1
Faculty of Transport and Automotive Engineering, Xihua University, Num.999,
Jinzhou Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610039, China; PH(86)13308020106; FAX (28)
87720534; email: luo06_jian2000@126.com
2
Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Transportation of Sichuan Province,
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Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China;

PH(86)28-87600165

ABSTRACT
Motor vehicle and non-motor vehicles mixed pattern is widespread in
Chinese road transport organization, which causes accidents frequently. In the
foundation of studying motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles collision
mechanism, used PC-CRASH to establish collision dynamic simulation model
about car and bicycle. It considered the cyclist as an unprotected vulnerable group,
the corresponding preventive measures are put forward, which is beneficial to the
development of road traffic safety warning and collision prevention research,
aimed at providing certain references to intelligent transportation research in
pedestrian-car collision warning.

1 INTRODUCTION
With the rapid economic growth, Chinese car ownership is increasing rapidly.
Bicycle holds a large proportion in people’s way to travel with its lightweight and
flexible. However, there are quite a few road traffic safety accidents are caused by
motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles collision (TUO Yongheng, 2009). In recent
years, the domestic and foreign research for the vehicle human collision is
gradually increasing, traffic safety has become a major part of world automobile
traffic safety research (XU Hongguo, 2009). This paper established a different
model car and bicycle collision simulation by changing the length of headstock,
adopted Austria's traffic accident simulation software Pc-Crash. First, built roads,
car, bicycle and cyclist model for the first simulation, output the simulation video,
cyclists head acceleration graphics and data. Second, changed the parameters of the
front length, while keeping other parameters constant, repeatedly output the relation
data and simulation video. Then, used the data to analysis the effect of front length
on collision. And put forward reasonable protective measures.

2 COLLISION DYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

2.1 The Environment Assumptions Of Collision Dynamic Simulation
Because different environment leads to different result on a collision, it
assumed all models in this paper were built in normal and balanced condition, such
as follows:
(1) The normal function of road using assumption: the function of road could not

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happen suddenly in the normal or abnormal process of bicycle and car running,
such as road collapse, depression etc;
(2) The good condition of weather assumption: there is no sudden changes in the
weather in the process of driving, such as the thunderstorm weather, storms, floods,
etc;
(3) The vehicles normal running state assumption: the vehicle performances are
respectively assumed to be normal and not existing emergency out of control in the
event of a motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles collision;
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2.2 The Dynamic Simulation Model Of Vehicle Collision Model

(1) Car model building
We selected the Audi-100 2.0 in Pc-crash built-in vehicle database
DSD2006. The default vehicle shape parameters are shown in figure 1:

Figure 1 Shape Parameters Of Vehicle Model

(2) Bicycle model building

We selected the bicycle1 +driver 010910 as bicycle model in the database of
vehicle model. And the driver model is a multi-body system consisting of 16 rigid
bodies, which are shown in figure 2:

Figure 2 Car and Bicycle Model

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2.3 Parameter Settings

This experiment is compared theoretically, so there is no reduction of actual
scenes in the paper. While put out the collision simulation, we chose default values
for vehicle and cyclist. The sequence of collision setting as follows: reaction--
deceleration --start—deceleration. The car speed is set to be 44km/h, the bicycle
speed is set to be 15km/h, the vehicle braking parameters is shown in Figure 3:
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Figure 3 Car Braking Parameters

On the basis of the selected vehicle model, started the first crash simulation and
output the corresponding results such as collision video and head acceleration
diagram. Then carried on multiple collision simulations by controlling variables
and changing the length of headstock (as the data in figure 1), which values for 1.32,
1.22, 1.12, 1.02, 0.92, 0.82, 0.72, 0.62, 0.52, 0.42, 0.32, 0.22, 0.12 meters.

Figure 4 Synthetic Acceleration Curve of Pedestrian Head

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Figure 5 Simulation Results Figure

In figure4 and figure5, it listed the synthetic acceleration curve of pedestrian

head and simulation results; we copy the head acceleration diagram data into Excel.
Then contrasted the 13 sets of data, and analyzed the relevant between the length of
headstock and the value of the head acceleration. The results are shown in table 1:
Table 1. Pedestrian Head Acceleration Data
t=0s t=0.5s t=1.0s t=1.5s t=2.0s t=2.5s
c=1.32m 9.81 40.01089 178.9142 17.51946 12.74086 3.530793
c=1.22m 9.81 54.47348 8.04528 29.78364 16.50362 3.504048
c=1.12m 9.81 81.06124 57.56756 9.838864 24.34442 4.296168
c=1.02m 9.81 28.20387 30.06711 18.41588 8.852904 3.530784
c=0.92m 9.81 48.50616 19.71454 14.29264 25.72962 27.03856
c=0.82m 9.81 17.24268 51.22292 14.04091 13.37393 1.733283
c=0.72m 9.81 9.432871 334.5604 9.871739 11.18973 13.38824
c=0.62m 9.81 14.27401 78.82424 3.476458 40.86748 6.964186
c=0.52m 9.81 19.45293 71.15905 25.14452 9.058417 1.312895
c=0.42m 9.81 17.85555 60.40102 49.16315 14.73581 372.6353
c=0.32m 9.81 100.8767 20.2189 18.0797 37.32662 13.50591
c=0.22m 9.81 24.70316 34.54867 9.609042 6.085268 13.90056
c=0.12m 9.81 23.51132 25.11203 10.29582 8.695316 2.726829

3 RESULTS ANALYSIS
The experimental results revealed that the value of the head acceleration and the
length of headstock have no strict linear relationship. But when the length of
headstock varies in some certain interval, the value of the head acceleration seems
smaller. So car manufacturers can consider that to set the car in an appropriate range,
in order to reduce the injury degree of cyclists.

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4 CONCLUSIONS
Though those analysis, we put forward some suggestions about intelligent
traffic as following:
(1) Installing automatic collision detection and protection system in the car in
order to improve the vehicle emergency protection capacity, and reduce traffic
accidents. The principle like that when a bicycle is in front of car, the system will
automatically detect and alarm signal to the driver, who can deal with the potential
accident to avoid collisions. If the driver does not take an operation to respond the
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signal, the system will automatically steer or brake with the best scheme.
(2) Installing airbags on the front bumper of car: When automatic detection
system detect a collision will occur at once, the airbag could be released at the same
time. Therefore, cyclists will touch the buffered flexible airbag, rather than the stiff
headstock. So it can protect the cyclists effectively, reduce damage that caused by
the collision.
(3) Warning on non-motor vehicle road: Most of the accidents are caused by
the weak consciousness about traffic, such as breaking traffic regulations. Therefore,
it will greatly reduce road accidents by strengthening the traffic management and
regulating the non-motor vehicle. We can install the infrared or pressure sensor in
the junction of motor vehicles and non-motor vehicles. When the non-motor
vehicles drive beyond the driving lane, the non-motor vehicles can receive the
sensors signal and raise an alarm to remind drivers the dangerous driving.
(4) Strengthening emergency rescue after the accident: Emergency scientific
researches should be strengthened. If the emergency rescue system in cars and
bicycles is to be installed, it can send out distress information after the accident
timely, and it can transfer the information to related emergency department quickly
and accurately. Then emergency department can make the best rescue plan quickly,
so it makes the wounded get timely treatment in order to reduce their losses.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research was supported by the Key scientific research foundation of
Xihua university (No.Z1020308), the Xihua cup Students' science and technology
innovation project (No. Xihua Sdudent 2013-18) , the Vehicle Measurement,
Control and Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province （ Contract No. Szjj
2012-009），and Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Transportation of Sichuan
Province in Southwest Jiaotong University(No. B01B1201).

REFERENCE
TUO Yongheng(2009). “Study of simulation of vehicle-pedestrian collision
accident reconstruction based on PC-CRASH”. Chongqing Jiaotong
University, Chongqing, China, 1-7.
XU Hongguo(2009). “Automobile Application Engineering”. China
Communications Press.
ZHANG Jinhuan(2010), “Design of automotive crash safety”. Tsinghua University
press.

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PU Lingling(2010). “Auto-bicycle collision accident reappearance and cyclist

damage analysis”. Chongqing Jiaotong University.
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