Evaluation of the applicability of the neck injury criterion (NIC) in rear end impacts on the basis of human subject tests.

The purpose of this investigation is to apply the neck injury criterion (NIC) Criterion to data measured in human subject tests. 70 volunteer tests and 28 cadaver tests were analysed in order to investigate the movement of the human spine. The NIC was calculated for all these tests and compared to other data that could be of interest for neck injuries (for instance angular acceleration of the head). It is concluded that the NIC in conjunction with other parameters is a useful indicator for the prediction of neck injuries following rear end impacts.