Advanced human neck models with active musculature for enhanced vehicle safety

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Accidental injury is a leading cause of hospitalization and fatality throughout the world. The World Health Organization estimates 1.2 million fatalities and up to 50 million injuries per year, globally, resulting from road traffic accidents. Crash Induced Injuries are recognized as preventable and Transport Canada has committed to reducing the number of road traffic fatalities.The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the importance of computer models and Human Body Models (HBM) capable of predicting injury as a vital biomechanics priority to improve safety. Advanced finite element modeling has been used successfully in the complex HBM environment with higher-speed and lower-cost computing enabling significant advances over the last decade. However, gaps in current knowledge include injury prediction capabilities, incorporation of active musculature, and gender/size effects on injury outcome. The proposed project integrates with a global automotive industry effort dedicated to the development and validation of human body models, and brings together major vehicle manufacturers in Canada to enhance an existing male neck model for injury prediction that incorporates active musculature and the development of a novel female neck model capable of predicting injury at the tissue level for complex loading scenarios. This cutting-edge modeling is essential for assessment of crash safety, reducing vehicle design cycle times and adopting advanced lightweight materials to meet Canada's 2025 reduced emissions goal requires. The resulting new knowledge will provide the global research community with validated methods for predicting injury, aiming to reduce crash induced injuries to benefit all Canadians and support Transport Canada's goal to reduce road traffic fatalities.