Improving the safety of the rear seat environment in passenger vehicles is vital to the goal of preventing fatalities and mitigating injuries in automobile crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) workshop on Rear Seat Safety in Passenger Vehicles held on April 26, 2016, focused on short- and long-term countermeasures that could improve safety for rear-seated passengers. The workshop presenters and participants discussed the current knowledge about rear seat occupants in motor vehicle crashes and how these occupants utilize existing vehicle safety systems, such as seat belts. Advanced vehicle technologies, innovative seat designs, emerging seat belt technologies, areas of needed research, education, and advocacy efforts were also addressed during breakout sessions, which enabled in-depth discussions of current and future technologies, their feasibility, and cost. This report provides an archive of the workshop with summaries of the breakout session discussions. The workshop agenda, list of invited participants, and a glossary can be found at the end of the session summaries. This document does not represent the views of, or any position held by, the NTSB, any other Federal agency, company, association or organization participating in the event. The report is intended only to represent the totality of the workshop participants’verbal contributions. It is meant to capture the workshop discussions and, as such, may include opposing viewpoints and repetition in some sections. (Author/publisher)
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