This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Comparison of Child Body Dimensions with Rear Seat Geometry
Technical Paper
2006-01-1142
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
Children who are too large for harness restraints but too small to obtain good restraint from a vehicle seatbelt alone should be seated in a belt-positioning booster. Boosters have been shown to significantly reduce abdominal injuries caused by seatbelts. This effectiveness may be due in part to the fact that boosters reduce the effective seat cushion length, allowing children to sit more comfortably without slouching. NHTSA recommends that children who do not use harness restraints use boosters until they are at least 145 cm tall. In this paper, data from several sources were combined to assess how well children fit on rear seat cushions. Data from NASS-GES were analyzed to determine the age distribution of rear-seat occupants. Anthropometric data from several sources were analyzed to determine the distribution of buttock-popliteal length, a measure of thigh length that is a key determinant of seat fit, as a function of age and gender. Second- and third-row cushion lengths were measured on a convenience sample of 56 late-model vehicles. Comparing the distribution of body size for rear-seat occupants with the seat cushion lengths showed that most cushions are too long for most rear-seat occupants, using commonly applied standards of seat fit. Given that most rear-seat occupants in the U.S. are children, rear-seat design standards should consider the smaller body dimensions and different restraint needs of this population.
Recommended Content
Authors
Citation
Huang, S. and Reed, M., "Comparison of Child Body Dimensions with Rear Seat Geometry," SAE Technical Paper 2006-01-1142, 2006, https://doi.org/10.4271/2006-01-1142.Also In
SAE 2006 Transactions Journal of Passenger Cars: Mechanical Systems
Number: V115-6; Published: 2007-03-30
Number: V115-6; Published: 2007-03-30
References
- Gordon, C. C. Churchill, T. Clauser, C. E. Bradtmiller, B. McConville, J. T. Tebbetts, I. Walker, R. A. 1989 1988 Anthropometric Survey of U.S. Army Personnel: Methods and Summary Statistics Natick, Massachusetts U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center
- Keegan, J.J. 1964 The medical problem of lumbar spine flattening in auto seats Technical Paper 838A Society of Automotive Engineers Warrendale, PA
- Klinich, K.D. Pritz, H.B. Beebe, M.S. Welty, K.E. 1994 Survey of older children in automotive child restraints Proceedings of the 38th Stapp Car Crash Conference 245 264 Society of Automotive Engineers Warrendale, PA
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2004 http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2005 National Center for Statistics and Analysis http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/NASS.html
- National Center for Health Statistics 2005 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
- Pheasant, S. 1996 Bodyspace: Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work CRC Press London
- Reed, M.P. Schneider, L.W. Ricci, L.L. 1994 Survey of Auto Seat Design Recommendations for Improved Comfort University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI
- Reed, M.P. Ebert-Hamilton, S.M. Manary, M.A. Klinich, K.D. Schneider, L.W. 2005 A new database of child anthropometry and seated posture for automotive safety applications Technical Paper 2005-01-1837 SAE International Warrendale, PA
- Reed, M.P. Ebert-Hamilton, S.M. Schneider, L.W. 2005 Development of ATD installation procedures based on rear-seat occupant postures Stapp Car Crash Journal 49 201 222
- Roebuck, J.A. 1995 Anthropometric Methods Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Santa Monica, CA
- Snyder, R.G. Schneider, L.W. Owings, C.L. Reynolds, H.M. Golumb, D.H. Schork, M.A. 1977 Anthropometry of Infants, Children, and Youths to Age 18 for Product Safety Design University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI