COST FACTSHEET

• COST stands for Cooperation in Scientific and Technical Research. The COST 327 study represents the largest ever examination of motorcycle injuries and their causes, and was conducted for the European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport. It was published in 1999 and remains the most current and extensive study on the subject.

• The study spanned Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom with input from major influencers including the UK Department for Transport, the Transport Research Laboratory, France’s INRETS and Université Louis Pasteur Strasbourg,  Germany’s Hannover University Accident Research Unit, Switzerland’s EMPA and many others.

• The programme compiled and analysed the first European database based on a detailed study of motorcycle accidents:
  • It reported that there are typically 4,700 motorcycle fatalities throughout Europe each year and this represents some 16% of the total road-user fatalities.  Head injuries cause some three-quarters of all fatalities to motorcyclists. 67% of motorcycle casualties sustained a head injury and 27% a neck injury.
  • Head injuries, and brain injuries in particular, were analysed and related to the direction and location of force. It was found that 31% were attributed to a direct force, 58% to an indirect force and 11% specifically to an indirect force directly opposite to the injury location, "contre coup."
  • Direction of force indicates to what extent the motion was likely to have been rotational or linear. When head injuries of moderate or above (AIS2 or greater on the Abbreviated Injury Scale) were considered, rotational motion was found to be the cause of over 60% of the injuries and linear motion attributed to 30%.

• Numerous experiments were also performed
  • The programme used drop tests of various types onto flat and oblique anvils, using dummy head forms of different kinds each equipped with accelerometers to measure linear and rotational acceleration of brain and skull mass could be separately calculated and compared.
  • Rotational acceleration was identified by the accident analysis to be a principal cause of head injury.

• Cost 327 also simulated accidents in many other ways, replicated and analysed helmet damage and created a far-reaching set of recommendations for helmet design and manufacture, helmet testing and accident investigation.  

• RECOMENDATION: rotational acceleration is an important cause of injury and helmet design should ensure that the potential for rotation is minimised.