The purpose of this paper is to summarize some of the relevant research into the performance of the combination of airbags and three-point manual belts. Results will be highlighted which are particularly applicable to current vehicle configurations. Opportunities for further improvement, and required research are discussed. The IVHS (Intelligent Vehicle-Highway System) program now underway at the Department of Transportation offers a mechanism for achieving significant improvements in occupant protection. The ability to tailor occupant protection to occupant size and age, and vehicle crash configuration and severity are all potential benefits of "Intelligent Vehicle" technology. The resulting technology, could offer crash protection to a larger segment of the population and at crash severities well above 35 mph.
Abstract