LOWER TORSO INJURIES AND AUTOMOBILE SEAT BELTS

Injuries to the lower torso (abdomen, pelvis, and lumbar spine) were studied in front seat, lap-belted, outboard occupants involved in frontal crashes. The data indicate that the "no injury" category is increased by 50% in belt users over unbelted occupants. Of injured lap- belted occupants, only one in five was injured in the lower torso area. Of these injuries, 7 out of 10 were rated as minor. Belts reduce the occurrence of serious injuries in all lower torso regions except the lumbar area. The more serious injuries occur at impact speeds of over 30 mph. Only 5% of the injured lap-belted occupants had ciritcal to life- threatening injuries in the lower torso area. The angle of the seat belt does not appear to be related to lower torso injury severity. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented at the Automotive Engineering Congress and Exposition, Detroit, Michigan, February 23-27, 1976.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Heulke, D F
  • Lawson, T E
• Publication Date: 1976-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abdomen; Crash injury research; Crash severity; Frontal crashes; Manual safety belts
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141965
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 760370
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 17 1977 12:00AM