This paper reviews briefly some of the trends in biomechanical research in Europe. Current terminology is discussed and a set of definitions is proposed for the common descriptors of injury, injury severity and performance criteria based on the responses observed in the living human body, in cadavers and in other surrogates. Some of the more obvious gaps in current biomechanical knowledge are discussed, particularly the need to examine the consequences of trauma at the cellular level, and some problems of experimental design in relation to research as the basis for legislation in Europe are outlined.