RESTRAINT USE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN REAL-WORLD CRASHES

The considerable variation in estimates of restraint effectiveness (from 11% negative to 90% effectiveness) in real-world crashes may be due to the exclusion of non-injury crashes in some studies and to at least some error in reported belt use in all effectiveness studied (higher reported than actual use). A comparison of effectiveness (reported use compared with a 5% lower use) showed a difference of almost 50% in seat belt effectiveness. With seat belt protection lower in frontal crashes, and the number of vehicle occupants not using seat belts, passive protection would result in about 4 to 5 times as much protection against serious injuries as belts. /MSA/

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Authors:
  • Robertson, L S
• Publication Date: 1975-5

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 20 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash injury research; Frontal crashes; Manual safety belts; Measures of effectiveness; Passive restraint systems; Restraint systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Passenger restraints; Passive protection devices
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142024
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1977 12:00AM