Samenvatting
The incidence and severity of contacts for lap belted and unrestrained occupants in different types of accident situations are compared. A contact is defined as a body part striking an area of the vehicle. Comparisons indicate a.o. that lap belts reduce windshield contacts when the body is thrown forward, they reduce certain types of side contacts for the driver when he is thrown to the side, they are associated with fewer seat back injuries in rear collisions, and fewer outside contacts in rollovers.