Whiplash associated disorder, AIS1 neck injury, occurring in car accidents is an increasing problem all over the world. The injury as well as the mechanism of the injury are still in many ways unknown. The purpose of this article is to add different factors that contribute to the knowledge of the origin of this injury. In the present study real-life data from police records was used. The paired comparison method was used to evaluate the influence of the seat-belt geometry, vehicle weight as well as the sex of the occupant. To study the influence of the seat-belt geometry on AIS1 neck injuries in rear-end collisions, two car models that were produced with two/three or four/five doors were selected. There was an increased risk in the car models with four/five doors compared to the same models with two/three doors. The risk of whiplash injury increases with increased weight difference between the struck and the striking car. For cars of a given size the risk of whiplash injury is higher for females. (A)
Abstract