Hugh DeHaven

Lore & Background

Hugh DeHaven was born in 1895 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a steel worker and inventor. He attended Fessenden School, The Hill School, Cornell University, and Columbia University. After being rejected by the US Army Air Corps in 1916, he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) Canada in Toronto. While training as a pilot during the First World War, he survived a plane crash; while recuperating from a ruptured kidney and spleen, he tried to understand why he alone survived, noting that his cockpit was the only one that remained intact.

Between 1924 and 1933, DeHaven filed seven patent applications for a self-sharpening single edge safety razor, and his De Haven Razor Corporation marketed models based on these designs. He left that business in 1933. That same year, he survived a traffic accident, which added to his interest in safety. He began experimenting with crash testing using eggs. In 1939, he recommended using helmets and seat belts installed at a 45-degree angle in airplanes. He also pioneered the concept of a "delethalized" instrument panel.

In 1942, DeHaven returned to Cornell as a research associate and launched the Crash Injury Research (CIR) program. His classic paper, *Mechanical analysis of survival in falls from heights of fifty to one hundred and fifty feet*, concluded that the human body can briefly withstand forces up to 200 times gravity if the force acts sideways across the body. He argued that structural changes to reduce impact and spread pressure could greatly improve survival in both aircraft and car accidents. In 1950, he published a report highlighting the "second collision" and the dangers of being thrown from a vehicle. He introduced the idea of "packaging" car occupants. In 1953, the project split into two parts: Automobile Crash Injury Research (ACIR) and Aviation Crash Injury Research. In 1955, DeHaven and Roger W. Griswold were issued US patent 2710649 for a lap belt design, a key early contribution to automotive safety.

Reader's Guide

Hugh DeHaven's significance lies in his foundational work on crash survivability, which shifted focus from preventing crashes to protecting occupants during them. His research, beginning with his own survival of a plane crash and later a traffic accident, led to key concepts such as the inertial reel, delethalized instrument panels, and the three-point seat belt. By using eggs in crash tests and analyzing falls from heights, he established that the human body could withstand high forces if properly restrained and cushioned. His work at Cornell's Crash Injury Research program directly influenced modern automotive and aviation safety standards. The concept of 'packaging' car occupants and the emphasis on the second collision remain central to vehicle safety design. DeHaven's legacy is evident in the widespread adoption of seat belts, improved cockpit and cabin designs, and ongoing crashworthiness research.

Did You Know?

• DeHaven survived a plane crash while training as a Royal Canadian Flying Corps pilot during the First World War.
• He experimented with crash testing using eggs after surviving a traffic accident in 1933.
• He was issued the first three-point seat belt patent (US 2710649) in 1955.
• He created the concept of 'packaging' car occupants in a 1950 report.