Biomechanical Performance of a New Head and Neck Support

The heads of auto racing drivers and military pilots are usually not supported so that neck fatigue and injury can be a serious problem. A new Head And Neck Support (HANS) is being developed to reduce head motions and neck loads.

The biomechanical performance of HANS has been evaluated by crash victim modeling with CAL 3-D and by impact sled testing with a Hybrid III dummy. Modeling and testing were conducted at 30 and 35 mph BEV and with acceleration directions from the front, right front, and right lateral.

The model and test results show that head motions, neck loading, and the potential for neck injury are all significantly reduced with HANS compared to without HANS.