The William Lehman Injury Research Centre has conducted multi-disciplinary investigations of one hundred seventy-eight crashes involving adult occupants protected by safety belts and air bags. When used in conjunction with National Accident Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS) they provide insight into the most severe injuries suffered by restrained occupants in frontal crashes. Heart injuries are rare, but when they occur they are usually life threatening. NASS/CDS shows that heart injuries comprise about 0.2% of the injuries in frontal tow-away crashes, In the NHTSA file of Special Crash Investigations (SCI) of air bag cases, heart injuries are reported in 1% of the occupants over 15 years of age. Twenty-five percent of the fatally injured occupants had heart injuries and 83% of those with heart injury died. In the Lehman Centre cases, heart injuries are present in 5.1% of the cases. Forty percent of the fatally injured had heart injury, and 78% of the victims with heart injury died. This paper suggests two additional triage criteria, based on observations from multi-disciplinary studies. These include: (1) passengers in 2-point belts and crashes of 25 mph or higher, with the lap belt unfastened or with the seat full forward; (2) drivers in crash conditions which delay the air bag deployment or permit the driver to be close to the air bag at deployment. (A)
Abstract