Scientists leave people disturbed as they reveal what humans would need to look like to survive a car crash
A road safety organisation has created a character dubbed the 'only human who could survive a car crash' and while it's left people seriously disturbed, some have pointed out one flaw in the design.
Meet Graham, he's a little... unusual, but he's apparently a model of what you'd need to look like in order to survive a car crash.
Dubbed 'the crash test man', Graham was made as part of an Australian road safety campaign by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) to encourage safer driving.
The organisation commissioned sculptor Patricia Piccinini as well as a leading trauma surgeon and a road safety engineer to team up to create the 'perfect man' based on their experience of working with people who have experienced a car accident.
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Graham is no oil painting, there's no polite way of putting it.
While he won't be winning any natural beauty awards anytime soon, it's a sharp reminder of what's at risk if you don't drive safely and how fragile our bodies truly are.
So, how does Graham differ to us?
Well, first off, Graham doesn't have a neck because these snap easily due to the force of the collision.
His skull is instead fortified with a brace-like contraption of bones, designed to keep it steady and stable in an impact.
Instead of the usual features standing out from his visage, Graham has a flat, entirely fleshy face in order to protect his ears and nose.
Apparently most people in accidents receive a nose fracture, and the flat nose and all of the extra squishy tissue means he should be okay.
One of the most bizarre elements is all of the extra sets of nipples, which are designed to protect his ribs in the same way airbags do.
The changes aren't just external, though.
They've also designed Graham with bags of flesh between each rib to act like a cushion.
He also has abnormally long feet, with 'hoof-like' legs to enable him to jump out of the way more easily.
As well as lacking a neck, he also has a bigger skull with more fluid and ligaments inside to support and cushion the brain in the event of an accident.
On top of all that, his skin is thicker and capable of resisting road rash.
Graham's knees are also capable of movement in all directions to reduce stress on them and making them less likely to be damaged.
All of these odd elements are what would be required for a human body to survive a car crash, according to the organisation.
Graham wasn't used in any actual car crash tests, but it is hoped that he will provide a stark reminder to drive more carefully.
After the bizarre images were unveiled, people were left divided over Graham's appearance.
One wrote: "I think it's rather interesting. This artist is an amazing sculptor (she always makes life like creatures that give you a sense of disturbance and empathy at the same time) , and i like the fact that they combined art with science. It sticks longer than a regular ad that's for sure."
Another bluntly asked: "What's the point of this?" while another joked: "Mum, Dad, there's someone I'd like you to meet..."
Someone else pointed out an apparent flaw: "Without a neck, how would he even be able to drive in the first place? He can't turn his head left or right to check if anything is clear."
It's certainly a memorable image, that's for sure.
Jen Thomas