Investigation of crashes involving 121 children aged up to 14 in adult three-point lap/shoulder (lap/sash) belts showed that irrespective of age they were generally well protected even in severe frontal crashes, and none sustained belt-induced inertial neck injury. The prime cause of injury among these children was contact with the interior surfaces of the car, predominantly in side impacts. Lap-belted children sustained a higher proportion of belt-induced abdominal injuries and a similar proportion of head injuries despite mostly being seated in centre positions away from the side of the car. Sled tests with 18-month, three-year-old and six-year-old dummies produced data consistent with the conclusion that adding torso restraint slightly increases the risk of minor (AIS 1 or 2) neck injury, but has the major benefit of reducing the risk of serious head and abdominal injuries. The conclusion of this work is that adult lap/shoulder belts do not present a significant risk of injury to young children. (A)
Abstract