Can riot-control water cannon be lethal?

A riot-control water cannon is a large, supposedly nonlethal apparatus that uses pressurized water to control and disperse crowds. However, riot-control water cannons may cause personal injury if directly aimed at the human forehead, for example. Therefore, we systematically analyzed, via a numerical model, the spatio-temporal evolution of the equivalent pressure of a water cannon and its influence on the human body dynamic response, especially considering the head and neck body regions. The simulation results suggest that 10 m is a critically dangerous working distance because the impact of a water cannon can lead to skull, cervical vertebra and brain injuries. In addition, compared to side/back impacts, frontal impacts are much more dangerous due to a more extensive range of head movement. Oblique impact induces rotational movement on the human body, resulting in a significant risk of injury. A quantitative injury risk analysis is presented to provide safety guidance for water cannon usage.