THIS PAPER CONCERNS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING INCREASED PROTECTION FROM SEAT BELTS IN FRONTAL IMPACTS. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT BELTS AS CURRENTLY PROVIDED, AND WHEN CORRECTLY WORN, DO ENABLE OCCUPANTS TO SURVIVE IMPACTS OF MUCH GREATER SEVERITY THAN WOULD BE SO IF THE OCCUPANTS WERE UNRESTRAINED. HOWEVER, THERE IS EVIDENTLY A NEED TO CONTINUE THE SEARCH FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN RESTRAINT SYSTEM PERFORMANCE PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT INITIATIVES TOWARDS PRODUCING A DEGREE OF COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN LARGE AND SMALL VEHICLES IN FRONTAL IMPACTS HAS PROVED TO BE MUCH LESS FRUITFUL THAN WAS EXPECTED AT THE START OF THE ESV PROGRAM. ACCIDENT DATA SHOW THAT IN SOME IMPACTS THE MOST SERIOUS INJURIES ARE AS A RESULT OF THE OCCUPANT STRIKING FORWARD INTERIOR COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE STEERING WHEEL OR FACIA PARTLY BECAUSE THE RESTRAINT ITSELF CAN ALLOW CONSIDERABLE FORWARD DISPLACEMENT AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF INTRUSION. THESE INJURIES ARE GENERALLY MORE SEVERE THAN THOSE PRODUCED BY THE BELTS THEMSELVES. THE TESTS DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER WERE THEREFORE CARRIED OUT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF HAVING A RESTRAINT SYSTEM WHICH VERY MUCH REDUCED THE FORWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE OCCUPANT. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Abstract