Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Acceleration Vectors01:30

Acceleration Vectors

In everyday conversation, accelerating means speeding up. Acceleration is a vector in the same direction as the change in velocity, Δv, therefore the greater the acceleration, the greater the change in velocity over a given time. Since velocity is a vector, it can change in magnitude, direction, or both. Thus acceleration is a change in speed or direction, or both. For example, if a runner traveling at 10 km/h due east slows to a stop, reverses direction, and continues their run at 10 km/h due...
Average Acceleration01:30

Average Acceleration

The importance of understanding acceleration spans our day-to-day experiences, as well as the vast reaches of outer space and the tiny world of subatomic physics. In everyday conversation, to accelerate means to speed up. For instance, we are familiar with the acceleration of our car; the harder we apply our foot to the gas pedal, the faster we accelerate. The greater the acceleration, the greater the change in velocity over a given time. Acceleration is widely seen in experimental physics. In...
Dynamics Of Circular Motion: Applications01:17

Dynamics Of Circular Motion: Applications

Suppose a car moves on flat ground and turns to the left. The centripetal force causing the car to turn in a circular path is due to friction between the tires and the road. For this, a minimum coefficient of friction is needed, or the car will move in a larger-radius curve and leave the roadway. Let's now consider banked curves, where the slope of the road helps in negotiating the curve. The greater the angle of the curve, the faster one can take the curve. It is common for race tracks for...
Instantaneous Acceleration01:16

Instantaneous Acceleration

Acceleration is in the direction of the change in velocity, but it is not always in the direction of motion. When an object slows down, its acceleration is opposite to the direction of its motion. Although commonly referred to as deceleration, this causes confusion in our analysis as deceleration is not a vector, and does not point to a specific direction with respect to a coordinate system. Therefore, the term deceleration is not used. For example, when a subway train slows down, it...
Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration01:10

Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration

A slider-crank mechanism converts rotational motion from the crank into linear motion of the slider or vice versa. This mechanism consists of three main parts: the crank, the connecting rod, and the slider. The movement of the slider-crank is an example of general plane motion as the fluctuating angle between the crank and the connecting rod. Consider a segment AB where point A is at the end of the slider and point B is on the diametrically opposite end to point A, on a crack. The variance in...
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface01:20

Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface

An object's apparent weight is its weight measured by a spring balance at its location. It is different from its true weight, the force with which the Earth pulls it, because of the Earth's rotation. Mathematically, an object's apparent weight equals its true weight minus the centripetal force that keeps it in a circular motion along with the Earth's surface every 24 hours.
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Concurrent Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of a Smartphone-Based Markerless System.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Validation and application of automated CT analysis to musculoskeletal profiling in MVC occupants.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same author

Biomechanical drivers of fastball velocity identified from In-game motion capture using Super Learner ensemble modelling.

Sports biomechanics·2026
Same author

Characterizing head acceleration events in Stock Car Auto Racing by head kinematics derived Principal Direction of Force (PDOF).

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same author

Integrating Athlete Perspectives and Head Kinematics in Youth American Football.

Journal of applied biomechanics·2026
Same author

Getting the Most From Your Data: Using Statistical Process Controls for Data Quality Assurance in Sport Science Data.

Journal of strength and conditioning research·2026
Same journal

Bicyclist overtaking in naturalistic riding data: Speed, clearance, and implications for injury risk.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same journal

Study of adaptation parameters of merging zones for freeway interchange ramps considering CAV & AV mixed traffic environments.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same journal

Behavioral determinants of motorcyclist personal protective equipment (PPE) use in five European cities.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same journal

Impact of grade designs of long mountainous freeway tunnel with crest vertical curve on traffic safety at tunnel portals.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same journal

Associations between blood ethanol concentration, clinical impairment test results, and traffic accident involvement among apprehended drivers.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
Same journal

Crash severity determinants in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province: Evidence from logistic regression and neural networks.

Traffic injury prevention·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Impact Mitigation in Modern Football Helmets: Advances and Limitations of Position-Specific Designs
07:36

Impact Mitigation in Modern Football Helmets: Advances and Limitations of Position-Specific Designs

Published on: January 13, 2026

Head acceleration event frequency among drivers across track types in Stock Car Auto Racing.

Nicholas J Cavallero1,2, Zoie R Mink1,2, N Stewart Pritchard1,2

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Traffic Injury Prevention
|June 5, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Professional stock car racing drivers experience more head acceleration events (HAEs) on road courses. This study quantifies HAE frequency across NASCAR track types, revealing significantly higher rates on road courses compared to others.

Keywords:
MotorsportsStock Car Racingexposurehead acceleration eventstrack type

More Related Videos

Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
09:35

Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor

Published on: June 16, 2021

Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets
07:08

Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets

Published on: February 19, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Impact Mitigation in Modern Football Helmets: Advances and Limitations of Position-Specific Designs
07:36

Impact Mitigation in Modern Football Helmets: Advances and Limitations of Position-Specific Designs

Published on: January 13, 2026

Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
09:35

Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor

Published on: June 16, 2021

Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets
07:08

Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets

Published on: February 19, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Motorsport Safety

Background:

  • The frequency of repetitive, non-concussive head acceleration events (HAEs) in professional stock car racing has not been well-characterized across different track types.
  • Understanding HAE frequency is crucial for assessing driver safety and developing targeted interventions in motorsports.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To calculate and compare the frequency of head acceleration events (HAEs) among National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) drivers across various track types.
  • To establish a framework for assessing HAE rates in racing to inform evidence-based driver safety decisions.

Main Methods:

  • Head kinematics of 61 NASCAR drivers across Truck, Xfinity, and Cup series were monitored using custom mouthpiece sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope) during the 2025 season.
  • Head acceleration events (HAEs) were defined as exceeding a 4g threshold for at least 3ms, with events classified as 'crash' or 'race' events.
  • HAE frequency was calculated per lap, per hour, and per race, with analysis focusing on feature races and utilizing negative binomial regression for rate comparisons.

Main Results:

  • A total of 5,131 HAEs were recorded over 239,337 feature racing laps across 30 distinct tracks.
  • Road courses exhibited significantly higher HAE rates (p < 0.05) compared to all other track types, with the highest mean, median, 95th percentile, and maximum rates per lap.
  • Superspeedways demonstrated the lowest mean, median, and maximum HAE rates per lap, while intermediate tracks had the lowest 95th percentile HAE rate per lap.

Conclusions:

  • Instrumented mouthpieces effectively quantified HAE frequency, demonstrating that road courses result in the highest rates of head acceleration events per lap.
  • The findings provide empirical evidence supporting further investigation into factors contributing to increased HAE rates on road courses.
  • This study offers a valuable framework for assessing race HAE rates, potentially informing crucial decisions to enhance driver safety in motorsports.