The study examines the comfort and convenience aspects of safety belt systems in 1979 model cars and the user and system characteristics which affect safety belt comfort and convenience. The test design required that each of 114 test participants sit in and evaluate each of thirty test cars. A detailed discussion of the test design and the participant and car samples are presented. The statistical results are also discussed. Analysis of the evaluations showed that belt systems do have varying comfort and convenience problems and that factors such as user height, sex, number of car doors, and safety belt type do have an effect on belt comfort and convenience. In addition, analysis of the data showed that systems with windowshade devices have more incomplete retraction and excessive slack problems than belts without windowshade devices.
Abstract