Samenvatting
Postmortem evidence on head injuries was used in conjunction with data on vehicle damage and crash circumstances to describe the mechanisms of head injury in a group of 30 fatal car crashes. The experience of a neuropathologist was linked with that of an accident investigator to explore the possibilities for improving understanding of how loading is transmitted through the car structure to the head. The load paths within the head were also traced to provide insight into the mechanism of injury, and to assist in linking injury tolerance work with accident reality. Accident selection was aimed at crash situations similar to those frequently evaluated with dummies. This is a pilot study to explore the possible benefits of this technique. (A)