Kid-Shell: safety system protection for child passengers travelling on powered two-wheeled vehicles

The KID-SHELL project aims to design and develop a protection system addressed to children who are travelling as PTW passengers, since motorcycles are by far the most dangerous means of transport. Moreover, children are especially vulnerable due to their instability on the motorbike and their physical weakness, reflexes and reaction to the accident. The European Commission is not aware of any specific national standard in the Member States, apart from requiring the use of helmets by motorcycle drivers and passengers. The first stage of this project analyzed the principal characteristics of traffic accidents involving child motorcycle passengers and what injuries they suffer. Both urban and non-urban areas were considered, as well as the type of accident scenario, type of accident, actions of the passenger and injuries suffered by child PTW passengers. Also, the data gathered was not only by frequency, but also by severity. The study included statistics and data of motorcycle accidents in Barcelona and the problems specific to children as motorcycle passengers, including a study of how the different stages of child development affect an accident. The aim of the second stage of the project was to define the design of the child protection system and develop an assessment protocol. A design, called the KID-SHELL, was made which covered the most exposed parts of the child passenger in a PTW such as the back, cervix and shoulders. The system is adjustable, being able to be used between 7 and 12 years; it is a one-piece vest with a rigid back part to protect the child in case of falling from the motorcycle or an accident. The test protocol developed aims to evaluate the level of safety of the KID-SHELL protector and at the same time be able to reproduce the real case scenarios where the KID-SHELL may be involved such as: fall down abrasion, back fall down, lateral fall down, asphalt sliding. The energy absorption that this system needs to provide in the event of an impact was evaluated and a test protocol was defined consistent with it. The dummies, impactors, setup and requirement specifications for the test were specified. Furthermore, a pattern of the target zones where the impactor has to collide were defined. In order to make the test repeatable and reproducible it was carried out by the Dynamic Impact Test System (DITS). Concerning the results, three levels of qualification were specified in order to be able to do an assessment of the KID-SHELL system protection. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.