Pregnant occupant injury risk in severe frontal crashes using computer simulations

Automobile crashes are the largest cause of death for pregnant females and the leading cause of traumatic fetal injury mortality in the United States. A previously validated MADYMO computer model of a 30-week pregnant occupant was used in this study to investigate the pregnant occupant response in a severe frontal motor vehicle crash. This study presents simulations of 26 different severe car crash tests, encompassing nine vehicle models that represent the compact, medium, and sport utility vehicle classes during the years 1996 to 2006. With the pregnant occupant in the passenger seat, these tests involve a vehicle with an initial velocity of 35 mph into a fixed barrier with the full width of the front of the vehicle. Uterine strain from the computational model indicates the risk of adverse fetal outcome for a pregnant occupant in each vehicle. The average risk of fetal loss associated with these frontal crashes is 85 +/- 13% with a minimum risk of 55% and a maximum risk of 100%. This high risk of fetal loss is consistent with published pregnant occupant case studies that have an equivalent change in velocity. When compared to testing for the average male, this study suggests that current safety standards do not accurately address the risk to a pregnant occupant in a severe frontal crash.