New Crash Test Metric Enhances Brain Injury Assessment
Crash safety is evolving, and a new metric could help better evaluate brain injury risks caused by rotational forces during accidents. While modern vehicles excel at protecting occupants from direct head impacts, sudden side-to-side movements—similar to a boxer taking a punch—can still cause concussions. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is integrating the Diffuse Axonal Multi-Axis General Evaluation (DAMAGE) metric into crash test evaluations. Previously used by the NFL for helmet assessments and adopted by Euro NCAP, DAMAGE provides deeper insights into brain strain from rotational forces. Unlike the traditional Head Injury Criterion (HIC), which measures linear impacts, DAMAGE accounts for successive movements like a head rebounding off an airbag and striking another surface. Also read: LaFerrari Among Four Supercars in $9.5 Million Crash Testing across 800 crash dummies revealed that while most showed adequate protection, about 60 exhibited concerning head m...