In the field study presented in this poster, it was investigated whether or not features of the protection system such as B-pillar height adjusters for the seat belts and adjustable head restraints are used by car occupants. The amount of slack in the seat belt system in its normal use was established. Slack is defined as the additional amount of pulled out webbing versus the amount which is required if the webbing is tightly fitted around the occupant. For this study, 118 vehicles and their drivers were examined when arriving on the car park of DEKRA AG's Munich (Germany) test area. From the study, the following three conclusions are made: (1) Belt slack is part of the daily use of safety belts. Pretensioning devices therefore are needed to better protect car occupants; (2) Features like pillar loop height adjusters and adjustable head restraints are poorly known to car users. Therefore, education of the public is required; and (3) it seems that the seat belt still is widely seen as a single component rather than part of a complete system during a vehicle design.
Abstract