What maximum impact speed is survivable for us humans?

Question

I am a keen observer of crash tests and current safety developments in cars. It strikes me as odd that cars are not tested, nor built, to withstand crashes at highway speed. Instead, NCAP and NHTSA testing goes up to about 40mph only (64km/h). Is that because any speed higher than that would kill the occupants through internal injuries anyway? If not, which speed is the highest, survivable impact speed for the average, human body?

Answer 1

It is not "impact speed" but acceleration. Acceleration can be controlled through design and material selection (crumble zone).

10g is about the maximum a young human can survive, albeit with a few broken bones and internal injuries.

The reason why "they" do testing at city typical speeds is because that is where and when most accidents occur. (Cost may also be a consideration.)

Volvo at one point in their history did actually design cars for significantly higher "highway typical" crash speeds.  Result, their cars were so rigid that when crash testing was performed on those same cars at lower (city traffic) speeds "minor" injuries such as broken bones, were significantly higher.

Anecdote: At that time also (mid 80-ties) "someone" released a set of pictures to the press showing what Japanese cars looked like when crashed at Volvo design speeds.

Answer 2

if i remember correctly, i think that we can take about 1,000,000 mph crash before we die. ive tried it

Answer 3

The human can take alot of force. The exact amount I dont know but depending on how healthy and strong you are you can take a beating. Nascar drivers have crashed at high speeds and lived and so have airplane pilots. So i assume its a very high speed.

Answer 4

Forty miles-an-hour is a pretty severe crash. It’s the kind of crash in which we know people can die and sustain very serious injuries.

But it’s also the kind of crash that people should be able to walk away from if the vehicles are designed well.

Answer 5

see the answer on http://www.test-bandwidth.net

Answer 6

Too many factors determine survivability for humans for testing and engineering to measure,  including very often,   dumb luck.

Most accidents occur at the lower speeds,  we just don't hear or read of them because they lack sensationalism.    And at higher speeds,  too many other factors also become involved for vehicle survivability.    For this reason,  the testing is geared to the lower speed  accidents.

Answer 7

Try this website: http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/safety...

Answer 8

Big aeroplanes have emergency slides to evacuate passengers in emergency cases. These are always very hard calculated, to get the passengers out at maximum speed without actually killing them. At rescue trainings they always get a fair few broken bones and other minor injuries, and those trainings are mostly with trained aircraft staff...

A typical speed to rush down such a rescue slide is 7 meters per second, that is only about 25 km/h!

We survive car crashes at much higher speeds only because we don't crash into the obstacle with the same speed as our car. Every crash at higher speed than about 50 km/h is lethal to any human, so it's quite good, that they test all these things that are designed to slow passengers down to make them not hit anything as fast as the car at speeds about and slightly above that limit - surviving a highway-speed accident is sheer luck anyway...

Answer 9

it is exactly 259643567 mph