Evaluation of impact test accelerations: a damage index for the head and torso.

This paper discusses a damage index which is believed to be superior to the current Severity Index in several respects: 1. The concept is applicable to internal injuries of the torso as well as the head. 2. It is felt to describe the actual damage mechanism more directly. 3. It fits the Wayne State head tolerance curve better than the Severity Index. 4. It is suitable for analyzing impact pulses of any time duration. 5. It is more convenient to employ. The index is inherently insensitive to long, low amplitude pulses; it is also largely independent of signal filtering characteristics.