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Kinja'd!!! "mkbruin, Atlas VP" (mkbruin)
08/24/2015 at 22:25 • Filed to: None

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Math q’s about the accident.

I am curious if there has been a calculation of force. How heavy was the nose cone? How fast was he traveling? I know it is impossible to discern exactly, but what is the maximum force that the shell of a helmet can reasonably withstand?

As I said, impossible to discern exactly. I am just trying to get a small grasp on the insane amount of force involved in this tragic accident.


DISCUSSION (3)


Kinja'd!!! SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > mkbruin, Atlas VP
08/24/2015 at 22:33

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17kg, over 200mph


Kinja'd!!! someassemblyrequired > mkbruin, Atlas VP
08/24/2015 at 23:20

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I gather that it’s not so much the impact force but since the brain floats in cerebrospinal fluid there is a sloshing effect that causes most of the damage. I was reading that there is some research looking into whether increasing pressure in the skull (by adding pressure in the neck) could reduce head injuries in contact sports. It’s the situation where a full bottle won’t slosh, but a partially filled one will. In short, until science can figure something out your brain is an unrestrained passenger in a major impact.

If your interested in motor sports safety, Dr. Sid Watkins, who was F1’s doctor for many years has a couple of great books: Life at the Limit and Beyond the Limit. I think they’re long out of print, but you can often find used copies on Amazon and both are interesting and entertaining reads.


Kinja'd!!! SVTyler > mkbruin, Atlas VP
08/25/2015 at 00:27

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Assuming ~200mph and 17kg of ballast the impact works out to roughly 5475 Newtons or 1230 lb-f. That’s basically the same force as if he was hit by a skydiver traveling at terminal velocity. I can’t find any quantifiable info on IndyCar’s helmet requirements for a comparison but there’s no helmet in the world that could’ve saved him.