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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.