Case Comparisons of Restrained and Nonrestrained Occupants and Related Injury Patterns

Restraining devices continue to be the most effective means of lessening injuries in automobile collisions. Evidence from the Trauma Research Group's case files illustrates how injury is avoided or minimized by use of lap, shoulder, and diagonal seat belts in several types of crashes, under various angles of impact. Prevention of fatal ejection, the improved chances a restrained driver has of retaining control of his car, and the attenuation of interior collision forces, such as result in jackknifing, are topics discussed, as well as the contribution of major automobile design improvements.