NECK INJURY TO CAR OCCUPANTS USING SEAT BELTS

This paper presents data on some aspects of neck injuries which occur to car occupants where the use of lap/shoulder seat belts is over 90%. The data came from in-depth crash investigation studies conducted during 1984, after the passage of the seat belt law in Britain. 15% of the occupants in the sample (which is weighted towards fatal and serious cases) had a neck injury, but of these only 15% were severe enough to warrant an AIS rating of 1 or greater. The problems of defining the non-specific symptoms of minor soft tissue neck injuries, below the definition of acute neck strain necessary for AIS 1, are discussed. A subset of cases were followed up using a questionnaire technique. Females showed a higher incidence of minor neck strain but no age effect was detected. Head restraint presence was not a factor; most of the impacts were frontal. In two thirds of the cases there was no head contact. Almost 40% had neck pain lasting for at least a month and 8% had symptoms lasting for longer than 6 months. 34% used a neck collar for a period. It is concluded that these minor neck injuries are a real feature of restrained occupants surviving relatively severe crashes, and because of delayed onset of symptoms they are under-reported. They present a classification problem which is best addressed by the development of a disability scale. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 287637. (Author/TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  American Association for Automotive Medicine

  40 2nd Avenue
  Arlington Heights, IL  United States  60005
• Authors:
  • Larder, D R
  • Twiss, M K
  • Mackay, G M
• Conference:
  • 29TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., United States
  • Date: 1985-10-7 to 1985-10-9
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 153-168
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE MEDICINE, WASHINGTON DC, OCTOBER 7-9, 1985

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Crash investigation; Frontal crashes; Injuries; Injury severity; Laws; Manual safety belts; Neck
• Identifier Terms: Abbreviated Injury Scale
• Uncontrolled Terms: Severity
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1243: Car; 9003: Cause; 2040: Cervical vertebrae; 8525: Conference; 2163: Injury; 1476: Safety belt; 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 8119: United Kingdom; 9084: Use; 1715: Vehicle occupant
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00466733
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1988 12:00AM