It is well known that motorcycling carries a very high accident risk and yet almost the only protection afforded to a motorcyclist is the helmet he wears. In spite of the high wearing rate in most European countries, head injuries are still the cause of the vast majority of fatal and serious injuries to motorcyclists. The COST 327 action committee was convened to investigate means whereby helmets can be improved and thus provide better protection. However, in order to improve the protection afforded by helmets, it is first necessary to gain a proper understanding of the ways in which motorcycle accidents happen, and in particular the ways in which head and neck injuries occur. Nevertheless, while some improvement to helmets may be possible from a better understanding of injury mechanisms and helmet construction, the process will only be truly successful if human tolerance to head injury is further investigated and better understood. The purpose of the COST 327 literature review is to provide researchers with detailed information on what has previously been achieved so that research does not duplicate, unnecessarily, what has gone before. The review consists of six main chapters, and covers literature on accidents and injury mechanisms; the biomechanics of head injury; mathematical modelling of the human head and neck; the performance of motorcycle helmets; and relevant current Standards. (A)
Samenvatting