MORPHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF DETERMINING THE SITE OF INITIAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE VEHIClE AND CHILD PEDESTRIAN

This article focuses on the forensic medical investigation of the mechanism of initial contact between vehicles and child pedestrians. The study analyzed 52 cases of road traffic accidents involving children aged 1 to 18 years. The research established that the localization of primary contact significantly depends on the child's age and the ratio of their height to the bumper height of the vehicle.In the 1-3 year age group, contact most frequently occurs at the level of the head (40 %) and chest (40 %), reflecting the inherent vulnerability of very young children whose height typically positions these body regions at bumper level. Toddlers' underdeveloped motor skills and limited traffic awareness further increase their risk of sustaining severe head and thoracic injuries during vehicle collisions. In the 4-7 year age group, primary contact shifts predominantly to the abdomen (44.4 %) and chest (33.3 %), corresponding to their increased height. Children in this developmental stage demonstrate improved but still limited traffic awareness, with their abdomen and thoracic regions typically aligning with vehicle bumper heights. For children aged 7-11 years, the primary impact points move lower to the thigh (41.2 %), abdomen (23.5 %), and pelvis (23.5 %). This transition reflects their continued physical growth and the changing proportion of body segments relative to vehicle front structures. In the 12-18 year age group, impacts predominantly occur at the thigh (57.1 %) and lower leg (23.8 %) levels, approaching the adult pattern of pedestrian injuries, as their height progressively approximates that of adults. The study revealed age-specific morphological characteristics of injuries: younger children predominantly sustain "greenstick" fractures of the skull and ribs, characterized by incomplete breaks with partial bending, reflecting the higher elasticity and lower mineralization of their developing skeletal system. In contrast, older children more frequently exhibit classic bumper fractures of the femur, similar to those observed in adults but modified by their developing skeletal structure. Vehicle component imprints were identified on the bodies of 40.4 % of the victims, with bumper imprints being the most common (25 %). These imprints provide valuable forensic evidence for accident reconstruction, vehicle identification, and impact force estimation. The researchers propose a coefficient representing the ratio of bumper height to child height (BHCH) as a predictive tool for the localization of primary contact. This coefficient enables forensic specialists to better assess the expected injury pattern based on the specific vehicle-child interaction dynamics. The findings from this study have significant applications in forensic medical examinations of child pedestrian accidents, accident reconstruction, medicolegal investigations, and the development of more effective preventive measures to reduce childhood traffic injuries. The results can inform both vehicle design modifications and targeted educational programs aimed at reducing the severity of injuries sustained by child pedestrians. Furthermore, the age-specific injury patterns identified provide a valuable reference for emergency medical personnel, potentially improving triage decisions and treatment protocols for injured children.