RESTRAINT SYSTEMS - HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY ?
THE LARGEST SINGLE ITEM WHICH HAS REDUCED THE SEVERITY OF AUTOMOBILE IMPACT INJURIES, AND HAS ELIMINATED THEM IN MANY CASES COMPLETELY, IS THE LAP BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM. A COMPARISION OF SEAT BELT USERS AND NON-USERS BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SHOWED THE FOLLOWING DATA: (1) USERS OF SEAT BELTS SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY 35% LESS OF THE MAJOR-TO-FATAL GRADE INJURIES THAN DID NON-USERS, (2) SEAT BELT USERS SUSTAINED FEWER FATALITIES THAN NON-SEAT BELT DEVICE CHIEFLY IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS IN NON-SPECIFIC ACCIDENTS, AND (4) THE REDUCTION OF THE MAJOR-TO-FATAL INJURIES IS RELATED LARGELY TO THE PERFORMANCE OF SEAT BELTS IN PREVENTING THE OCCUPANT FROM BEING THROWN OUT OF THE AUTOMOBILE UNDER CRASH CONDITIONS. MANY COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES HAVE A GREATER RATIO OF SMALL-TO-LARGE VEHICLES. IN THESE SMALLER VEHICLES THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OCCUPANT AND THE INTERIOR COMPONENTS IS GREATLY REDUCED NECESSITATING THE USE OF AN UPPER TORSO RESTRAINT. THREE-POINT BELTS ARE USED IN THE VOLVO IN SWEDEN. DATA COMPILED FROM THE RESULTS FROM A POLL BY VOLVO INDICATE THAT THE THREE-POINT RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING INJURIES. CASES OF ABDOMINAL INJURIES DUE TO SEAT BELTS ARE DISCUSSED. IN EUROPE MANY CARS ARE FITTED WITH A DIAGONAL BELT ONLY. CASES OF FATAL NECK INJURIES INCURRED BY OCCUPANTS WEARING THAT TYPE OF BELT ARE DISCUSSED. COMPLETE IMMOBILIZATION OF AN OCCUPANT DURING THE SECONG COLLISION IS THE IDEA BEHIND INFLATABLE DEVICES. RESULTS OF 42 CRASH SIMULATOR TESTS AND ONE BARRIER TEST ON THE GAS BAG CONCEPT AS AN UPPER TORSO RESTRAINT SHOWS THAT: (1) SEAT BELT LOADS WERE REDUCED 50 TO 70 PERCENT IN COMPARABLE 30 MPH CRASHES, (2) 40 TO 50 PERCENT REDUCTION IN HEAD AND CHEST DECELERATIONS WERE RECORDED, (3) A NEED FOR A BAG PRESSURE RELIEF SYSTEM TO REDUCE SPRING RATE WAS DEMONSTRATED, (4) THE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF AIRBAG CONFIGURATION WAS NECESSARY, AND (5) DETERMINATION IS NEEDED OF THE BEST GAS RELEASE METHOD. EACH RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS DISCUSSED AND EVALUATED ON ITS OWN MERITS IN REDUCING INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS.
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Supplemental Notes:
- pp 165-184, 19 REF
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Authors:
- Van Kirk, D J
- Publication Date: 1969-10-16
Media Info
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Compact automobiles; Constraints; Crash severity; Fatalities; Headrests; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Shoulder harnesses; Testing; Traffic crashes
- Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
- Old TRIS Terms: Inflatable devices; Shoulder harness; Small car
- Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00220942
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jul 21 1970 12:00AM