The Use of Public Crash Data in Biomechanical Research

Abstract

Information collected about motor-vehicle crashes has the potential to aid researchers in understanding the mechanisms of injuries and point the way to possible solutions Unlike the laboratory experiment, where all variables are measured, held constant, or monitored, most variables in an automobile collision are not monitored and are changing rapidly. In addition, the participants’ memories may be confused about the details or influenced by legal considerations. The problem for the researcher is to find out enough information to understand the mechanism of injury causation. Motorvehicle crashes are one of the largest contributors of injuries and one of the most difficult to document.