Craig D. Rosenbaum | September 11, 2026 | Personal Injury
Modern vehicles include safety features designed to reduce the risk of serious injury in a crash. Before these systems reach the road, manufacturers and researchers need ways to understand what happens to the human body during a collision. Two important tools in this process are crash-test dummies and biomechanics.
Crash-test dummies provide measurable data about the forces experienced during a collision, while biomechanics helps researchers understand how those forces may affect the body. Together, these fields have contributed to improvements in seat belts, airbags, vehicle structures, and other safety technologies.
What Are Crash-Test Dummies?
Crash-test dummies are sophisticated testing devices designed to represent certain characteristics of the human body. They are formally known as anthropomorphic test devices, or ATDs.
During a crash test, sensors inside a dummy can measure factors such as:
- Head acceleration
- Forces on the neck
- Chest compression
- Movement of the pelvis
- Forces affecting the legs and knees
Researchers can analyze this information to estimate the likelihood of different types of injuries. Testing may involve frontal crashes, side-impact collisions, rollovers, and other scenarios.
Different dummies may also represent people of different sizes and ages. This allows researchers to study how crash forces may affect vehicle occupants differently.
What Is Biomechanics?
Biomechanics is the study of how forces and movement affect living bodies. In vehicle safety research, biomechanics helps scientists understand how the human body responds to the rapid acceleration, deceleration, compression, and movement that can occur during a collision.
For example, a person’s vehicle may suddenly stop during a crash, but the occupant’s body continues moving until it is restrained by a seat belt, airbag, or another part of the vehicle. These forces can contribute to injuries involving the head, neck, chest, spine, and extremities.
Biomechanical research helps determine how much force different parts of the body can tolerate and how safety systems can reduce potentially harmful forces.
How Do Crash Tests Lead to Safer Vehicles?
Crash-test results allow engineers to identify potential safety problems before vehicles are widely used on public roads. When testing shows that occupants could experience dangerous forces, manufacturers can modify the vehicle or its safety systems.
Crash testing and biomechanical research have helped guide improvements to:
- Seat belts and pretensioners
- Front and side airbags
- Head restraints
- Crumple zones
- Vehicle frames and passenger compartments
- Child restraint systems
- Steering columns and dashboards
For example, crumple zones are designed to absorb some of a collision’s energy rather than transferring all of that energy directly to vehicle occupants. Airbags can help distribute forces across a larger area of the body and reduce contact with hard interior surfaces.
Researchers can test these systems repeatedly under controlled conditions to determine whether design changes reduce injury risks.
Why Does Occupant Position Matter?
The position of a person inside a vehicle can affect how safety systems perform. Seat belts and airbags are generally designed to provide protection when occupants are seated properly.
Factors such as seat position, body size, seat belt placement, and the direction of impact can influence the forces experienced during a crash. A person who is not wearing a seat belt, for example, may move much farther inside the passenger compartment during a collision.
This is one reason researchers use different testing scenarios. A single crash test cannot represent every real-world accident or every vehicle occupant.
How Can Biomechanics Matter in a Personal Injury Case?
Biomechanics can also play a role after a serious car accident. In some personal injury cases, the parties may disagree about whether a collision could have caused a particular injury.
A biomechanical expert may examine evidence such as vehicle damage, medical information, occupant position, seat belt use, and the direction and severity of the collision. The expert may then offer an opinion about the forces involved and how those forces could affect the human body.
Biomechanical evidence does not automatically establish that an accident caused an injury. Medical records, diagnostic testing, physician opinions, accident reconstruction evidence, and other information may also be important.
Contact a New York City Personal Injury Lawyer at Rosenbaum Meier Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Modern vehicle safety features can reduce the risk of serious injuries, but they cannot prevent every injury in a crash.
If you were injured because of someone else’s negligence, Rosenbaum Meier Personal Injury Lawyers can help you understand your legal options. Contact our New York City personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation.
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