RELATIVE MORTALITY OF UNBELTED INFANT PASSENGERS AND BELTED NON-INFANT PASSENGERS IN AIR ACCIDENTS WITH SURVIVORS

Aircraft accidents with survivors were examined to determine the relative risk of mortality for unrestrained infant passengers vs seat-belted adult passengers. The crude relative risk was estimated to be 7.1, based on US data, and 7.4 based on worldwide data. More refined estimates allow for possible effects of seat location and for differences in lethality between crashes. Using such estimates, unbelted infant passengers have relative risk of 5.9 based on US data and 9.6 based on worldwide data. The injury experience of restrained vs unrestrained automobile passengers suggests that the observed excess risk to infant air passengers may be related to the absence of a mechanical restraint system. Recommendations for a mechanical restraint system are made and the cost and benefits of implementing these recommendations in the US are discussed.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00900036
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Health Association

  800 I Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001-3710
• Authors:
  • Fife, D
  • Rosner, B
  • McKibben, W
• Publication Date: 1981-11

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 5 p.
• Serial:
  • American Journal of Public Health
  • Volume: 71
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: American Public Health Association
  • ISSN: 0090-0036
  • EISSN: 1541-0048
  • Serial URL: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/loi/ajph

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adults; Aircraft; Crashes; Fatalities; Infants; Restraint systems; Risk analysis; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Death rate
• Old TRIS Terms: Passenger restraints
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00379037
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Reprint, HS-034 303
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 30 1983 12:00AM