By measuring injury criteria in the impact simulation and testing of rail interior parts, it is possible to compare one layout with another, and thereby develop layouts with improved protection. Comparison of road and rail accidents shows that there are many similarities in the injury mechanisms for unrestrained occupants. This justifies a common approach to risk assessment, and allows established injury criteria to be used for determining the injury potential for rail layouts in many cases. But there are crucial differences that must be respected if the results are to be relevant to the rail environment. In developing threshold values, the project considered not only the immediate injury but also the risk of the victim's condition deteriorating further during the aftermath of the collision. Since some rail accidents occur in inaccessible locations there may be difficulties in evacuating the injured, whilst the possibility of multiple casualties overwhelming local medical resources could introduce further delays. Consequently, any injury that is not immediately critical but is dependant on prompt treatment is potentially more serious in a rail accident than in an automotive one. Rather then establishing a single value for the threshold, three different values are proposed in most cases, corresponding to three different levels of effect on the victim's health. Every design should strive to achieve the lowest possible injury, but it is not yet known whether it is feasible to engineer layouts to meet this standard in all cases. Further work may need to be done if the values are to consider fully the needs of vulnerable groups within the rail travelling population.


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