Citation

Stoecker U, Loeffelholz H. Proc. IRCOBI 1984; 12: 79-90.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the Federal Republic of Germany, highway traffic, among other things, is characterized by a vigorous increase in the numbers of powered two-wheelers and till 1982 a growing number of fatal and injury accidents in this group of road users. For that reason, the Federal Highway Research Institute (BAST), as accident research center, has made the problems associated with passive safety features for users of powered two-wheelers a focal point of its programs of research and set up a number of research projects. In the following, only the results of helmet studies are reported. The work was undertaken to answer especially the questions raised in respect of the effectiveness of helmets as protective devices. The problem was approached by studying and plotting head injuries sustained in real accidents by helmeted and unhelmeted motorcyclists and by studying the loads sustained by the head by means of accident reconstructions. The objective of the research was also to study possibilities of optimizing head protection by means of helmet improvements. (Author/TRRL)