This poster presentation reports on some problems arising from a series of motor vehicle impacts involving at least one child, and represents a preliminary report of an investigation of child restraint characteristics and limitations. The sample contains around 40 cases of injured children (ages 8 months to 14 years, severity from Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 1 to AIS 6). 12 cases involved vehicles with correctly installed and used seats; 28 cases involved unrestrained or inappropriately restrained children.In most cases it appears that the interaction between the child restraint system and the geometry of seat belts is far from optimal, reflecting problems in their installation. Particularly, some data suggest that the configuration of the vehicle seat may influence the position of the child restraint in a static position which could be accentuated during a sharp deceleration phase. Other data suggest that a child restraint could move widely during a sideslip, being displaced at the moment of the crash. Some severe and fatal cases involve fire or submersion. Flying objects, or heavy objects in the luggage compartment, seem to represent a serious danger for a restrained child in the rear seat. Finally, some common problems in rescue at the scene of impact are discussed, with particular reference to extrication from the car. (A)
Abstract