Head and neck responses in oblique motorcycle helmet impacts: a novel laboratory test method

The dynamics of a Hybrid III dummy's head and neck in helmeted impacts using a novel oblique impact test were studied. Three impact conditions were investigated that simulated a range of motorcyclist head impacts and provided estimates of head and neck injury using published injury assessment reference values. The resultant linear and angular accelerations in the coronal plane were significantly higher for an impact to the side of the head when compared with frontal impacts. Neck axial forces were recorded, ranging from 2.1 to 3.4 kN. Linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlation coefficients that characterised the relationships between dummy responses and impact and sled velocities. Linear regression curves showed that increasing the impact and sled velocities resulted in an increase of the head angular accelerations. The neck axial force was found to positively correlate with the impact and sled velocities in the lateral impacts.