Presentation includes the kinematics of an occupant in any vehicle when any accident takes place.

1. Occupant
Kinematics

2. Kinematics
● The study of motion and of physical concepts such as force and mass is
called dynamics.
● The part of dynamics that describes motion without regard to its cause is
called kinematics.

3. Occupant Kinematics
★ Occupant kinematics involves the study of occupant motion inside the vehicle during a
crash.
★ Occupant kinematics is the study of kinematics as it applies to occupants within a
motor vehicle.

4. Principle
❖ Occupant kinematics study can be achieved by simply applying Newton’s First Law of
motion i.e. the analyst aims to understand the way in which human body moves with
respect to the moving vehicle reference frame in response to some change in state of
vehicle.
❖ Newton’s First Law of motion tells us that an occupant will continue moving in its pre-
impact state until acted upon by some external force which changes occupant state.
The external force is generally provided by some component of the occupant cabin.

5. ➢ By studying how an occupant moves with
respect to occupant cabin, one can develop a
better understanding of potential points of
contact between occupant’s body and the
cabin, as well as, potential ejection portals.
➢ It is vital to have comprehensive
understanding of how the vehicle moved
through the crash environment and then
predict how occupants would have moved
inside the vehicle.

6. Accident Reconstruction experts utilize
Newtonian laws of motion to explain the
paths that vehicle occupants follow and the
method in which they react to external forces.

7. ➔ Another specialized category of
kinematics is that of low speed impact
analysis.
➔ Even at relatively low speeds, occupants
can be injured.
➔ The correct protocol and calculations are
necessary to determine the mechanism of
injury in the low speed impact.

9. Use of Occupant Kinematics
❖ One of the most typical use of occupant kinematics is to
understand potential ejection portals through which the
occupants may travel during a complex event.

10. Thank You