AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF BELT USE FOR REAR SEAT OCCUPANTS HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT BY VOLVO CAR CORPORATION AND THE ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT OF THE SWEDISH ROAD SAFETY OFFICE. (TSV). THE REPORT IS BASED ON APPROXIMATELY 2,000 RELATIVELY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS IN SWEDEN IN WHICH A VOLVO 140 OR 240 HAS BEEN INVOLVED AND IN WHICH THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT IN THE VOLVO VEHICLE. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT SEAT BELT USE BY REAR SEAT OCCUPANTS IS 7.7 PER CENT. THE SEAT BELT USE BY REAR SEAT OCCUPANTS IS DECIDEDLY INFLUENCED BY THE TYPE OF JOURNEY, AND ALSO BY TYPE OF SEAT BELT AVAILABLE IN THE CAR. REAR SEAT OCCUPANTS DIFFER FROM FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS IN BEING LARGELY CHILDREN. A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IS APPARENT IN INJURY FREQUENCY BETWEEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS. IF THIS DIFFERENCE IN AGE GROUPING AND INJURY FREQUENCY IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, THE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE INJURY RISK IS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME FOR ALL SEATS IN THE CAR. FURTHERMORE THERE IS CLEARLY APPARENT DIFFERENCE IN INJURY PERCENTAGES FOR BELTED AND UNBELTED OCCUPANTS, BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THE INJURY-REDUCING EFFECT OF SEAT BELT USE IN THE REAR SEAT IS ABOUT 28 PER CENT FOR ADULT OCCUPANTS. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 5 SEE IRRD 266063. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.
Abstract