As you all probably know, speed doesn’t kill anyone. Becoming still suddenly is what really kills. It’s called inertia and it is directly responsible for internal injuries after a crash, despite the fact that the seatbelt held the body not to smash against the car.
But the seatbelt will restrain only the body, with the internal organs remaining free to move in a crash, resulting in smashed or ripped tissue that can lead to death.
Studying this phenomenon to make vehicles safer is very hard, but Toyota, in its “kaizen” spirit, made one of the most advanced crash test dummies ever. Called THUMS (Total HUman Model for Safety), the dummy is built just like a human body, having a bone structure, ligaments as well as internal organs made out of materials simulating reality.
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