Whiplash 2

Vehicle Size and Speed Quote 

“Acceleration depends on the force applied and the inertia of the vehicle that has been struck. The force is dependent upon the weight and speed of the striking vehicle, so that a streetcar 

traveling as 3 mph can apply as much force and initiate the same degree of acceleration as a compact car traveling at 40 mph.” 

Ian Macnab 

Associate Professor of Surgery, University of 

Toronto 

Chief of Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, 

Wellesley Hospital, Toronto.

“Acceleration Extension Injuries of the Cervical 

Spine” Chapter 10 in THE SPINE by Rothman 

and Simeone. 

WB Saunders Company 

1982 

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