Injury severity patterns by restraint usage.

Data on towaway accidents involving 1973, 1974 and 1975 American passenger cars were collected according to a systematic sampling plan to measure restraint system performance. Analyses of the data showed that higher percentages of occupants were restrained- by either the lap belt alone or full restraints- in both 1974 and 1975 cars than in 1973 cars. Injury patterns are described in terms of the percentage of occupants sustaining lesions by body region and injury source.