Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
A Test Bed to Examine Helmet Fit and Retention and Biomechanical Measures of Head and Neck Injury in Simulated Impact
Published on: September 21, 2017
Injury risk functions in frontal impacts using data from crash pulse recorders
Helena Stigson1, Anders Kullgren, Erik Rosén
1Folksam Research, Stockholm, Sweden, Division of Insurance Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Folksam Research, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Applied Mechanics, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden. Autoliv Research, Vårgårda, Sweden.
Crash severity significantly impacts injury risk for car occupants. Mean acceleration and change in velocity are key predictors, with age also playing a role in injury risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Road safety research
- Biomechanics
- Traffic injury prevention
Background:
- Understanding crash severity's impact on injury risk is crucial for road safety.
- Real-world crash data analysis enhances knowledge of injury causation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop injury risk functions for frontal car crashes using real-world data.
- To quantify the relationship between crash severity and occupant injury risk (MAIS2+).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 489 frontal car crashes with recorded acceleration-time history.
- Generation of injury risk functions using multiple logistic regression for restrained front seat occupants.
- Investigation of crash severity parameters (delta V, mean acceleration, peak acceleration), age, and gender.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation was found between crash severity and injury risk.
- Mean acceleration and change of velocity were the strongest predictors of injury (MAIS2+).
- Crash severity parameters outperformed age and gender in predicting injury, though age was a significant factor in the best predictive model.
Conclusions:
- Even minor changes in crash severity can substantially alter injury risk.
- Mean acceleration is a critical metric for assessing injury risk in frontal crashes.
- A comprehensive injury risk model incorporates crash severity metrics and occupant age.
