Muscular activity in normal driving and in rear end low speed crash tests

The muscular activity of 9 human subjects sitting on the driver's seat of a vehicle was monitored by means of surface electromyography, during a road test drive and during low speed rear end collisions. Some muscles, chosen among those involved in whiplash mechanisms, were monitored, together with forearm and shoulder muscles in order to evaluate bracing effort. Road tests were carried out within normal, moderate traffic and also included some of the situations in which involvement in a rear-end collision is most probable. The same drivers were subjected to low speed rear-end vehicle to vehicle collisions; 36 crash tests of two types were carried out (aware and unaware subject) with two nominal impact speeds (6 and 8 km/h).