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Comparison of automatic front-seat-outboard occupant restraint system performance
Technical Paper
1994-12-0048
Published September 22, 1994 by Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine in United States
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards required installation of
passive restraints in passenger vehicles beginning with the 1987
model year. Manufacturers met standards by using either
""automatic"" seat-belt systems or airbags with
active (manual) seat-belt systems. Several different automatic
designs were employed.
This paper addresses accident performance of various automatic
seat-belt systems and discusses (1) factors that influence belted
injury rates and (2) statistical procedures used to control for
these factors. Different automatic systems are described and a list
of passenger vehicles with different automatic systems is
presented. State motor vehicle accident data were examined to
assess the overall safety performance of automatic belts.
Performance comparisons were made after controlling for factors
that might influence injury rates, including (1) vehicular factors
such as vehicle size and body style; (2) accident factors such as
single-versus multiple-vehicle accident, rollover, and accident
severity; and (3) driver-related factors such as driver age. Injury
rates for belted and unbelted front-seat outboard occupants and the
percentage reduction in injury for belted front-seat outboard
occupants are reported as measures of overall belt
effectiveness.
The analyses show no consistent significant difference in safety
performance among various types of automatic restraint systems.