TESTS SHOW VEHICLE PASSENGERS HAVE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WITH INFLATABLE AIR BAG RESTRAINT

AN AUTOMATICALLY INFLATABLE AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEM BEING DEVELOPED BY FORD AND EATON YALE AND TOWNE APPEARS TO OFFER POSSIBILITIES FOR SURVIVAL IN AUTOMOBILE CRASHES UNAPPROACHED BY ANY OTHER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. IN TESTS SPONSORED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ON THE DAISY DECELERATOR AT HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, LIVE PRIMATES PROTECTED BY SCALED-DOWN VERSIONS OF THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM SURVIVED IMPACTS UP TO 50G, WHEREAS EVEN 40G PRODUCED FATAL INJURIES WITH THE BEST OF OTHER SYSTEMS. BUT BEFORE SUCH EQUIPMENT CAN BE APPLIED TO PRODUCTION AUTOMOBILES, MANY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS WILL HAVE TO BE SOLVED--AMONG THEM BEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF: A SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING THE DRIVER, SENSORS THAT CAN OPERATE IN A "REAL WORLD" CRASH, ACTUATING AND INFLATION SYSTEMS THAT WILL NOT PRODUCE NOISE, AND PRESSURE EFFECTS THAT ARE ABOVE IRREVERSIBLE HUMAN INJURY TOLERANCE LEVELS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 77, No 1, PP 58-61, 3 FIG, 1 TAB
• Authors:
  • KEMMERER, R M
• Publication Date: 1969-1

Media Info

• Serial:
  • SAE Journal of Automotive Engineering
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bags; Balloons; Constraints; Injuries; Prevention; Sensors; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Old TRIS Terms: Inflatable devices
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223096
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 19 1971 12:00AM