Impacts And Injuries
By Dan Baldyga
As of December 2001 it was determined that in the United States, there were approximately 12 million motor vehicle accidents involving 21 million vehicles. This amounts to about one crash per second. Let's take a look at these impacts and the gazillion injuries they cause.
LOW SPEED IMPACTS: These are impacts that are considered to be any collision that takes place at speeds under 10 MPH. While there is absolutely no justification to call it a "Low Speed" impact this is what the insurance industry loves to identify them as. Why ? Because a moniker like that is supposed to indicate that such an "impact" could not possibly have caused an injury. It's true that when such a crash does take place there's not a lot of damage done to the motor vehicle and yet, in the majority of cases, people involved in these types of accidents often suffer injuries - - neck injuries especially.
An injury can and does occur in a low impact collision. The most common is "whiplash". This takes place because the occupants are unaware of the impending collision so they cannot brace themselves by forcing their back and/or neck against the seat or headrest.
Automobile bumpers are built to withstand up to a 5 MPH crash without damage. This is not done to insure the safety of the occupant but to protect and limit the damage to the bumpers, keeping the cost of repair to a minimum. Many times vehicle to vehicle impacts can sustain an impact of 8 to 9 MPH before there is recognizable damage to the motor vehicle. However, when the bumper doesn't crumble and absorb the force of the impact, the occupants feel more of that crash.
INJURIES: It's a fact of life that the individual that's been crashed into by another (even at only 5 MPH) is thrown forward with a severe jerking motion causing necks to snap, backs to twist, many soft tissue injuries, multiple body bruises, plus chest and rib injuries.
In most cases the insurance industry attempts to deny the possibility of injuries in a low speed impact but research substantiates just the opposite! Yes, the motor vehicle will show little damage but the velocity and accompanying force have to be transferred somewhere, and that's to the occupant of the vehicle. Cars are built to withstand such minor impacts - - the human body is not.
FRONTAL COLLISIONS: In most frontal impacts the occupant's can generally brace themselves because they are aware of the impending collision.
Speed and weight of the vehicle play a role in the injuries of the occupant. (The more the vehicle crumbles at impact and the longer the time involved, the less severe the injuries to the occupants. Many times airbags will deploy).
In frontal impact collisions the speed and size of the vehicle determines the injuries that can occur. In the case of rear-end collisions, the striking vehicle not only undergoes a collapse, but transfers momentum to the struck car by pushing it forward. The airbag may or may not deploy, depending on the rigidity of the vehicle that is struck.
INJURIES: Head and neck, back, brain, spine, rib and clavicle, arms and legs, concussions, soft tissue, internal, dislocations, abrasions, cuts and bruises.
48 to 72 hours later: Headache, blurred vision, dizziness and loss of taste, smell or hearing. Also, difficulty breathing, blood in urine or stool, swelling, loss of motion and visualized bruising take place. (These are only a few so it's crucial that you consult a professional for an examination and/or consultation).
SIDE IMPACT: Many times the occupant's head will hit the side window and bounce off. There are no air bags nor bumpers, engines, etc., to help protect ones body or absorb the force of the impact.
