Samenvatting
Factors affecting seat belt performance in frontal collisions, the most frequent and severe collision type are discussed. In depth analyzed accidents are investigated with respect to the observed misfunctions of the belt system. Misfunctions, probably affecting the belt efficiency, may be caused by the construction of belts, by the handling of belts, or by reasons induced from outside. Furthermore, this classification enables a distinction to be made between unavoidable and avoidable belt-specific injuries, whereby it is shown that these injuries are mostly on a lower or at most an equal AIS level than the injuries of non-belted occupants in comparable accidents. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD abstract no 237028.