HIC--the head injury criterion. Practical significance for the automotive industry

Efforts to decrease the losses in human lifes on the roads during fifties led to an increased research into the biomechanics of head impact. A break-through was made with the introduction of the Wayne State Tolerance Curve. This curve was interpreted and a weighted injury criterion was developed. This criterion was later transformed into the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and used in a proposed legislation to improve the crashworthiness of cars. Although heavily criticized the HIC-criterion still is the most established method to assess head injury in automotive impact conditions.