IN DESIGNING A VEHICLE TO PROTECT ITS OCCUPANTS IN CRASHES, ATTENTION MUST BE GIVEN TO THE VARIOUS AGES AND SIZES OF OCCUPANTS. IN CARS WITH AUTOMATIC RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, THEIR GREAT POTENTIAL TO OFFER CRASH PROTECTION TO CHILDREN, AS WELL AS ADULTS, CAN BE AIDED BY A RISK ANALYSIS FOR THE VARIOUS AGES AND SIZES OF OCCUPANTS IN THE VARIOUS SEATING POSITIONS AND IN THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FULL AND PARTIAL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS THAT ARE USED. AN ANALYSIS IS PRESENTED THAT IS BASED ON (1) OBSERVATIONS OF HOW FREQUENTLY AND IN WHAT POSITIONS CHILDREN AND ADULTS RIDE IN CARS IN THE UNITED STATES, (2) THE SPECTRUM OF INJURIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY OCCURRING IN CRASHES IN THE UNITED STATES, (3) INFORMATION ON PRE-CRASH BRAKING FROM ACCIDENT FILES, AND (4) TESTS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF PRE-CRASH BRAKING ON THE POSITION OF SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT, ON BALANCE, AIR BAGS WILL PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL CRASH PROTECTION TO OTHERWISE UNRESTRAINED CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN CRASHES. (A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF SECTION 5 SEE IRRD 266063. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 266046.
Samenvatting