Types of Head Injuries

During a two-wheeler crash there are two principal mechanisms of injury to the brain i.e., through direct contact and through acceleration–deceleration. Each mechanism causes different types of injuries.

When a motorcycle is involved in a collision, the rider is often thrown from the vehicle. If the rider’s head hits an object, such as the ground, the head’s forward motion is stopped, but the brain, having its own mass, continues to move forward until it strikes the inside of the skull. It then rebounds, striking the opposite side of the skull. This type of injury can result in anything from a minor head injury, such as concussion, to a fatal head injury.

Head injuries that result from either contact or acceleration–deceleration injuries are themselves divided into two categories: open or closed head injuries. Most traumatic brain injuries are the result of closed head injuries – that is, there is no open wound to the brain.