In a sample of 1567 traffic accidents, 65 fatal crashes were available for a complete description of the lesions. In 14 cases, a complete crash reconstruction could be made. In order to define an injury criterion, a relationship between injury severity in real crashes and dummy loading values in experimental tests, was determined. For research purposes, the body was considered as a three compartment system: 1. Bony skull and brain: the negative part of the elastic wave was considered to be the injury originator. 2. Cervical spine: the relatively inelastic fibrous bonding at the atlanto- occipital junction appears to be selectively vulnerable to the shearing force. Fractures to members of the c0- c1- c2 complex are almost always the result of head contact.3. Thorax, abdomen and pelvic contents: steering system intrusion is observed to play a significant role in the incidence of thoraco- abdominal injuries.
Abstract