Project

Purpose and Goals

The project aims to address neck injuries in frontal car crashes that are high in frequency and lead to long-term impairment.  While most countermeasures have focused on rear impacts, this initiative highlights the overlooked risk of sustaining a neck injury in frontal collisions, which occur frequently at low-to-moderate severities. The project will quantify the frequency and risk of AIS1 neck injuries in frontal crashes from field data and subsequently lay the groundwork for future research on protective strategies.

Expected Results and Effects

• AIS1 neck injury frequency in GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study) data.
• Swedish data on whiplash injuries leading to permanent medical impairment by crash direction.
• A literature review on field data, injury mechanisms, and assessment tools (e.g., Human Body Models).
• Identification of knowledge gaps and proposal of next steps for future research.

Design and Implementation

The project aims to bring together various stakeholders through regular meetings to identify current challenges and align future research and development efforts. Towards the end of the project, a workshop will be organized with the aim of proposing next steps to address gaps in knowledge and to develop methods to assess potential countermeasures.