Crashes involving 121 children aged up to 14 in adult three-point lap/sash belts in real-world were investigated. Sled tests with 18-month, three-year-old and six-year-old dummies were conducted at a delta-V of 48 km/h. The sled data were compared with the known outcomes of real-world crashes at known levels of delta-V. The field data showed that irrespective of age, children 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. The sled research produced data consistent with the conclusion that adding torso restraint slightly increases the risk of minor (AlS l or 2) neck injury, but has the major benefit of reducing the risk of serious head and abdominal injuries. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E207978.
Abstract