Crash Performance Evaluation of Booster Seats for an Australian Car

The aim of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of two booster seats for use by children across a wide age span, from around 3 years to 10+ years. The study was part of a broad research program to identify suitable child restraint systems (CRS) to fit a large sedan vehicle to maximise protection in a crash. Dummies were restrained in the rear seat of a vehicle buck in three restraint configurations with boosters: (i) with a standard adult lap-sash seatbelt, (ii) with a seatbelt plus H-harness and crotch strap, or (iii) with a seatbelt plus H-harness with the crotch strap disengaged (to simulate the effects of real-world misuse conditions), and a fourth condition (iv) with an adult seatbelt only. Boosters were fitted in the vehicle with two different anchorage systems: a standard seatbelt and a system including a retrofitted rigid ISOFIX attachment and top tether. HyGe sled tests were conducted to simulate a 64 km/h offset deformable barrier frontal impact with a change in velocity of around 71 km/h. Preliminary investigations were also conducted using side impact simulations with a change in velocity of around 15 km/h. Overall, the booster seats for both the 6 year old dummy and the 3 year old dummy (with harness and crotch strap) provided superior crash protection than use of the adult seatbelt. For tests when the H-harness was used to restrain the dummy, use of the crotch strap was critical in eliminating ‘sub-marining’. The research highlighted the potential for serious injury with misuse of child harness systems and identified several areas for design improvement of booster seats.

• Record URL:
  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0425-O.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Charlton, Judith L
  • Fildes, Brian
  • Laemmle, Ron
  • Koppel, Sjaanie
  • Fechner, Liam
  • Moore, Kristen
  • Smith, Stuart
  • Douglas, Fiona
  • Doktor, Irena
• Conference:
  • 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV)
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2005-6-6 to 2005-6-9
• Publication Date: 2005-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 7p
• Monograph Title: Proceedings - 19th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV), Washington, D.C., June 6-9, 2005

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Booster seats; Child restraint systems; Children; Crash injuries; Dummies; Frontal crashes; Large automobiles; Rear seat occupants; Side crashes; Sled tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Child safety seat anchorage; Harness type (Child restraint systems); Submarining
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I84: Personal Injuries; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01066501
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 05-0425
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 11 2007 2:04PM