Blunt impact injuries can be very fatal. But luckily, they can be avoided or properly mitigated with the right gears. A blunt trauma, also called blunt force trauma, or non-penetrating trauma occurs when an impactful force strikes a body part, such as in a car accident, assault, or gunshot stopped by armor. The opposite of this is penetrating trauma, which occurs when an object penetrates the skin and enters a body tissue, resulting in an open wound and bruise. During a blunt trauma incident, the patient may experience contusions, abrasions, lacerations, internal hemorrhages, or fractured bones.

One way to prevent or reduce the fatality of blunt impact injuries is by wearing bulletproof vests. Not just any kind, but bulletproof vests with NIJ ratings of Level III and above. In terms of body armor, Level III is the first level that helps protect against rifle rounds. Vests of this type are usually made of hard metal plates, not soft plates. For a vest to be considered Level III, it must withstand six shots from a 7.62×51 NATO round traveling up to 2780 ft/s.

We now come to the level IV vest: the highest level of protection available. In body armor, a person will still feel the energy of a bullet’s impact. However, the sensation will be over the whole body, instead of in one area. Multiple layers slow down bullets in the bulletproof vest. With each “net,” the shot becomes slower and slower until the bullet stops. At the point of impact, the shell is also deformed by the material used in designing the bulletproof vest. Bullets spread out at the tips as soon as they hit the vest. This process achieves a further reduction in the energy of the bullet. We call this “mushrooming.”

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