Some would call him strange, others would call him superhuman. His official name is Graham, and he’s the only person specifically designed to survive a car crash.
An accident research engineer, a trauma surgeon, and a Melbourne artist joined forces to create Graham, a vision of what humans would be like had we evolved to withstand car crashes. The Transport Accident Commission in Australia, a government-owned organization that aids people involved in car crashes, is showing off Graham to remind us how vulnerable we are to the heavy forces involved in an accident. Studies have shown humans were only made to handle impacts at speeds people can reach on their own without the help of vehicles, says the TAC.
“People can survive running at full pace into a wall but when you’re talking about collisions involving vehicles, the speeds are faster, the forces are greater and the chances of survival are much slimmer,” TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore said in a release.
What makes Graham such a superhuman? Although his brain is the same size as ours, his skull is much larger, and additional cerebrospinal fluid and ligaments help protect him in a crash. His flat face, including a recessed nose and ears, shield him should he come into contact with the steering wheel or dashboard. Stronger ribs and a barrel chest can withstand greater forces than us mere humans. The unsightly sacks on his chest act as small airbags that absorb the force of the crash and reduce his forward momentum. Experts also thought about pedestrian crash safety; Graham has “hoof-like” legs that allow him to leap away from danger in a spring-like motion.
“Cars have evolved a lot faster than humans and Graham helps us understand why we need to improve every aspect of our roads system to protect ourselves from our own mistakes,” Calafiore said.
Perhaps we’re better equipped than we think. Self-driving cars could make great strides in safety, and virtually every automaker is preparing these types of vehicles. By 2020, Volvo says no one will be killed or seriously injured in one of its new vehicles, thanks to the help of autonomous tech.
If you’re not easily creeped out by hyperrealistic sculptures, check out the videos below to learn more about Graham.
Source: TAC, MeetGraham.co.au
The post Here’s What We’d Look Like If We Were Built to Withstand Car Crashes appeared first on Motor Trend.
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