BMW of North America announced a partnership with the prestigious William Lehman Injury Research Center at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center to create a nationwide, multidisciplinary Accident Research Project (ARP), which will partner BMW's esteemed engineers with trauma experts in the medical field. Together, the teams will conduct biomechanical accident analyses that will aid in the determination of the cause of injuries in crashes. Their findings will in turn be used to develop new safety features in future BMW cars.
"BMW is proud to fund this collaboration with the William Lehman Injury Research Center and the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and to underscore our commitment to safety," said Tom Purves, President of BMW of North America. "BMW already features the highest standard of active and passive safety features. This project will allow us to raise the bar even higher."
"More young adult lives are lost each year to trauma than to disease in the U.S.," said Dr. Jeffrey Augenstein, Director of the Ryder Trauma Center, which houses the William Lehman Injury Research Center (WLIRC). "This study of real world crashes will directly translate into safety features and information that will save more lives. We are thrilled to partner with BMW for the venture."
BMW first saw the impact of using real world accident analysis to refine product design three decades ago in Germany. In1976, the Bavarian police began reporting severe accidents involving BMWs to the carmaker and continue to do so today. BMW used the information provided by the police to upgrade safety features in its vehicles.
Today, BMW takes another stride forward in improving and creating state-of-the-art safety technology by using real world accident research from U.S. roadways. This project takes a multi-disciplinary approach pairing BMW's engineering prowess with the medical trauma expertise of the UM/Jackson Ryder Trauma Center. BMW and the trauma center will dispatch a team to inspect damaged vehicles after an accident and then through an accident reconstruction and a biomechanic evaluation of the injuries, the real world performance of the vehicle will be discussed. The results will be constantly fed to various development departments for further enhancements in the design of BMWs.
"To supplement safety development by analyzing real world car accidents is a sophisticated approach to safety, but it gives us the most effective tools to make a safer product when it counts most - in a real world accident." said Peter Baur, Head of the Accident Research Program in the U.S. "While a great knowledge base is available from our research in Germany, we decided to conduct intense research in the U.S. as well considering the differences in the traffic environments."
Advancement of Head Protection
BMW already has dramatic proof of the value of accident research. In 1997, BMW was the first car manufacturer to invent the Head Protection System (HPS) based on their accident research. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) recently published a study stating that head protection systems with torso side airbags reduces death on nearside side-impact crashes by 37% and side airbags without head protection by 26%. BMW's HPS is just one of many advancements that the company has offered its customers first. It is a key example of how the carmaker's real world research has affected safety implementation in all BMWs.
A Company of Ideas
Unlike other car companies, BMW is an independent company that has the autonomy to pursue innovative ideas. Safety, performance and agility are the number one priorities for BMW and the carmaker is always looking to the newest technology to offer to its customers. BMW began its relationship with Lehman Center by funding a study to develop an algorithm to predict the risk of injury after an accident based on crash data. This will allow BMW to improve post-crash care significantly. BMW's Automatic Crash Notification already provides post-crash care by reporting the vehicles position and establishing a two-way communication to BMW Assist. For 2007 models, the BMW Safety Plan is available as part of the Ultimate Service at no cost for the first 4 years.
William Lehman Injury Research Center
The internationally recognized William Lehman Injury Research Center is part of the Miller School of Medicine and is located in Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Funding began in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Jeffrey Augenstein, M.D, Ph.D., Director of both the Ryder Trauma Center and the William Lehman Injury Research Center, has worked to create a national model for the prevention of automobile related death and injury. The Center's research over the last 15 years has focused on how occupants are injured in motor vehicle accidents and what can be done to mitigate those injuries. Funding for the Center now comes from both the federal government and industry.