Ghastly! Saab may have used human cadavers for safety research

[TinmanMS6]

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/05/saab_crash_test_opt.jpg

Vägverket, the Swedish Road Administration, is reporting that General Motors used ten human cadavers for crash research. While it isn't clear which GM vehicle hosted the corpses on their one-way trip into a wall, a spokesman for Vägverket said it was most likely the Saab brand. The spokesman was also quick to point out that all of the cadavers were people "who had donated their own bodies." (Well, that is comforting to know!)

While cadavers were used in the earliest crash tests (first started in the late 1930s), most of us were under the assumption that fully-instrumented million-dollar synthetic crash test dummies, or computer simulations, had replaced human remains in current testing. Apparently, some folks at GM may have been thinking otherwise. As of today, neither General Motors or Saab have acknowledged any tests involving dead bodies, but our hunch says this issue hasn't been laid to rest.

[wishingfora ms3]

cadavers are used for scientific research, i say this is nothing short of just that. im not complaining as long as no live humans are used in research. computers can only simulate so much.

[Flash5]

wowie thats just odd lol

[kcbhiw]

I, too, have no problem with this. Sounds interesting. It'd be interesting to know the findings.

[orlandomsp]

So, what's the big deal?

[clicknext]

I think there is a certain place you draw the line between reasonable scientific uses for cadavers and unreasonable. I don't think this steps over that line.

[turbolife]

At least my DD is safe!!

[Roywhitep5]

I think there is a certain place you draw the line between reasonable scientific uses for cadavers and unreasonable. I don't think this steps over that line.

id use one for the car pool lane

[SciFiMan]

They can get a lot more information, checking for broken bones, where they break, or use x-rays for fractures. Not to mention checking for internal damage better than sensors could do. I'm all for it.

[coolmazda5]

At least you don't have to worry about death risk during the test. The organic "dummies" just smell bad, but no big deal...

[seanmcsean]

id use one for the car pool lane

(rlaugh)

weekend at bernies meets rush hour.

[coolmazda5]

They can get a lot more information, checking for broken bones, where they break, or use x-rays for fractures. Not to mention checking for internal damage better than sensors could do. I'm all for it.

Good point, I've read that many of the accident injuries are based on the fact that the occupants brace for impact and that causes a lot of broken bones for example (i.e. legs and arms), and that is why the occupants who are asleep are the less injured during accidents (boom06) (dunno)

[TinmanMS6]

Good point, I've read that many of the accident injuries are based on the fact that the occupants brace for impact and that causes a lot of broken bones for example (i.e. legs and arms), and that is why the occupants who are asleep are the less injured during accidents (boom06) (dunno)

I've heard the same thing about extremely drunk drivers. Still, this is an argument against using cadavers, as there's no way for a cadaver to brace itself. (shrug)

[evilmonkeyMSP]

if you check the Autoblog entry, they updated it...


UPDATE: Saab called to let us know that neither it nor General Motors use "postmortem human test subjects" for safety research, nor do they have the facilities to even do so. They do, however, provide funds to certain bio-mechanical research projects, often through universities, the results of which they use to make better crash test dummies.

[coolmazda5]

I've heard the same thing about extremely drunk drivers. Still, this is an argument against using cadavers, as there's no way for a cadaver to brace itself. (shrug)

True, but the results would be then skewed though. dead injuries <> alive injuries, LOL. Oh well, as long as the cars have a disclaimer they should be fine. Something like this by the door (next to the recommended Tire Sizes and PSIs):

"NHTSA Certified. No cadavers were used for crash testing these units" :D

[BigB]

Looks like those Swedes have finally found a use for bums...