Vault Impact Pattern
Definition
A pedestrian impact sequence typical of high front-end vehicles (SUVs, trucks): the pedestrian is struck in the torso or pelvis, the body does not rotate over the hood, and the pedestrian is projected forward in a more ballistic trajectory.
- Vehicle type
- High front-end vehicles: SUVs, pickup trucks
- Contrast pattern
- Wrap trajectory typical of low-hood sedans
- Strike point
- Torso or pelvis, above the pedestrian's centre of mass
- Injury implication
- Fewer head-to-hood/windshield injuries, more direct forward projection
Common questions
Why does a high front-end vehicle produce a vault rather than a wrap pattern?+
When the vehicle's bumper and hood strike the pedestrian above or near their centre of mass, the pedestrian's legs are not swept out from under them the way a low hood does, so the body does not rotate up onto the hood. Instead, the impact projects the body forward and outward in a more direct, less rotational trajectory.
How does the vault pattern change what a reconstructionist looks for at the scene?+
Because the body is not carried on the hood and thrown off at braking, the reconstructionist relies more heavily on the pedestrian's final resting distance and any ground-scuff or tumbling evidence rather than a hood dent or windshield fracture to establish impact speed and trajectory.
Related terms
- Conspicuity
- The degree to which a pedestrian or cyclist is detectable against their background under the prevailing lighting conditions. It governs the detection...
- Fender Vault
- A variant in which the pedestrian contacts the vehicle's fender rather than the front face, resulting in a lateral throw to one...
- Head Wrap Distance (HWD)
- The distance along the vehicle's body surface from the primary contact point (usually the bumper) to where the pedestrian's head first contacts...
- Throw Distance
- The horizontal distance from the point of primary vehicle-pedestrian contact to the location where the pedestrian comes to rest. Combined with pedestrian...
- Wrap Impact Pattern
- A pedestrian impact sequence typical of passenger cars and low-profile vehicles: the lower limbs are struck, the body rotates forward and upward...