THIS PAPER PRESENTS PARTIAL RESULTS OF A STUDY UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT IN NEW ZEALAND, INTO VEHICLE DAMAGE CHARACTERISTICS IN TYPICAL ROAD ACCIDENTS. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE LIKELY EFFECT OF VEHICLE DAMAGE ON CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS INSTALLED IN VEHICLES IN COMMON USE ON NEW ZEALAND ROADS. THE RESULTS PRESENTED HERE, RELATE SPECIFICALLY TO VEHICLE DEFORMATION AND ENCROACHMENT AS RECORDED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENES BY TRAFFIC OFFICERS OVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD. IT WOULD APPEAR FROM THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY INVOLVING 406 VEHICLES, THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF ENCROACHMENT INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT, IS CONSIDERABLY LESS FOR THE CENTRE BACK SEAT POSITION. THIS CONFIRMS THE WIDELY ACCEPTED VIEW THAT IT REPRESENTS THE MOST DESIRABLE LOCATION FOR A CHILD SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM WITH REGARD TO POSSIBLE INJURY CAUSED BY VEHICLE DEFORMATION.(Author/publisher).
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