Analysis of the rotation and lifting of a motorcycle following an impact against a motor car side

Abstract

An analysis of the course of a road accident where a motorcycle hit the side of a passenger car has been presented. The scope of the analysis was limited to the post-impact motorcycle movement at the initial stage of contact with the car. At this stage, the most important forms of this movement include rotation of the motorcycle around a variably located instantaneous centre and lifting of the rear end of the motorcycle. Based on an analysis (frame-by-frame) of the video record of the experiment and the acceleration values measured on the motorcycle frame, the parameters of motorcycle motion were determined for specific time instants. The trajectories of noteworthy motorcycle points after the motorcycle impact against the car have been shown. The parameters of motorcycle motion as determined from the experiment may provide a good basis for the road accident reconstruction process and for the analysis of the course of generation of injuries to motorcyclist's body. The course of the process of motorcycle rotation and lifting has crucial influence on the movement of motorcyclist's body and especially on the point of impact of motorcyclist's head against the car. The location of this point (side window, roof edge, roof panel) is critical for the type of the head injuries resulting from the accident.