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HPRL Accident Analysis and Reconstruction
- HPRL staff offers professional services of
motorcycle and bicycle accident reconstruction and analysis. These services
are currently provided for manufacturers, attorneys, government agencies, etc.
The basis of this expert service is the experience of reconstructing many
thousands of motorcycle and bicycle accidents for purposes of scientific
research, as well as litigation and enforcement proceedings.
- Because of the extensive experience in
accident research and helmet testing, HPRL technical staff has expert
knowledge of a wide variety of defects of design and manufacturing in
motorcycles, bicycles, accessories and helmets. While there is effective
regulation of motorcycle helmets by DOT and bicycle helmets by CPSC, there are
many protection failures due to design and manufacturing defects of such
"certified" helmets. Typical problems are frequent ejection of bicycle helmets
due to "positional instability" and diffuse brain injury of motorcycle riders
wearing "high performance" helmets qualified to racing standards. Fifty years
experience in head protection research has included many problems of defective
and dangerous helmet designs.
- HPRL offers professional services of helmet
examination and accident replication, for evaluation of accident performance.
Complete scientific evaluation includes the biomechanical evaluation of
accident events and protection performance. An inverse problem often
encountered is the question of potential benefit of helmet use when an
unprotected head is injured in an accident. HPRL has collected extensive data
on the differences in injury patterns with and without helmets.
- HPRL conducts special training for several
government agencies as a public service, e.g., seminars for police agencies on
motorcycle accident analysis, motorcycle helmet technology, bicycle helmet
fitting at schools and bicycle rodeos. Continuous contact with local law
enforcement agencies provides advisement in motorcycle operations and special
accident investigations.
- HPRL offers professional services of aviation
accident analysis, especially regarding injury analysis and the effects of
restraint system performance and helmet effectiveness. The services are
provided to certain government agencies (NTSB, USN, USAF) as a public service.
- HPRL is experienced in the safety problems of
industry and is very familiar with the accident performance of various
industrial safety helmets. HPRL staff has examined many industrial accidents
involving head injury and can evaluate the performance of contemporary ANSI
Z89 helmet, as well as the potential benefit of such helmets if not worn at
the time of the head injury.
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