INJURY PATTERNS CAUSED BY SEAT BELTS

THE TASK OF THIS INVESTIGATION IS THE COLLECTION OF TYPICAL TYPES OF INJURY, WITH AND WITHOUT MALFUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM VEHICLE CELL - SEAT - RESTRAINING DEVICE - OCCUPANT. ANALYSIS OF ACCIDENTS IN WHICH 110 OCCUPANTS SUFFERED INJURIES SHOWS THE CLEAR NECESSITY FOR MEASURES WHICH WOULD LEAD TO A REDUCTION OF INJURY RISKS, I.E. NOT ONLY AS REGARDS THE SEAT BELT ITSELF, BUT ALSO IN RESPECT OF THE PATTERN OF INJURY WHEN SEAT BELTS ARE USED. THE FOLLOWING FACTS COULD BE ESTABLISHED: (1) DECISIVE FOR THE SEVERITY OF INJURIES - AFTER THE ABSOLUTE TRAUMATIC DEGREE DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION OF THE SYSTEM - IS THE AREA OF THE HEAD. IT IS FOLLOWED BY THE CHEST AND THE AREA OF THE PELVIS AND STOMACH. (2) TYPICAL INJURIES DUE TO MALFUNCTION ARE INTERNAL TEARS, LIVER TEARS AND TEARS OF THE SPLEEN, AS WELL AS INJURIES TO THE CHEST. (3) SEVERE STOMACH TRAUMA EXISTS IN FATAL INJURIES. (4) WITH INCREASING DEFORMATION OF THE VEHICLE, THE SEVERITY OF INJURY TO DRIVER AND PASSENGERS RISES ALSO, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SYSTEM IS INOPERATIVE. (5) SEVERE SEAT BELT INJURIES, WITHOUT SYSTEM FAILURE, OCCUR ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH A HIGH VEHICLE DEFORMATION INDEX. (6) WRONG USAGE OF SEAT BELTS, SEAT BELTS WHICH ARE TOO LOOSELY FITTED AND PENETRATION INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE SEVERITY OF INJURIES. IN THIS CASE INJURIES CAN BE EXPECTED EVEN WHEN THERE IS A LOW DEGREE OF VEHICLE DEFORMATION. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD NO 307340.

  • Authors:
    • BEHRENS, S
    • SUREN, E G
    • GOTZEN, L
    • STUERTZ, G
  • Publication Date: 1977

Language

  • English

Media Info

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01300688
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt)
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Nov 21 2010 7:57AM