Citation

Mathewson JH, Severy DM. Highw. Res. Board bull. 1953; 73: 42-54.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1953, National Research Council (U.S.A.), Highway Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper presents the engineering and safety aspects in the development, method of mounting, and testing of an automobile safety belt and attachments. Thirteen individual tests were made under controlled conditions in the field. In the series of tests, the automobile and driver were decelerated at rates up to approximately 3.5 g. Under ideal conditions a vehicle cannot be decelerated at a rate faster than about 0.9 g and passengers are exposed to the danger of at least minor injuries at even lesser rates. On the basis of measurements on nontelescoped sections, it is known that in a headon collision between two cars, each traveling at 35 to 40 mph., average decelerations of around 16 g's are produced. In such accidents the driver, and especially passengers, are subjected to considerably higher decelerations. In the simulated collision decelerations described in this report, the driver of the test car was uninjured in any of the 13 trials. On the basis of these tests, it is indicated that if properly designed safety belts are installed and used in automobiles, a substantial reduction in both the frequency and severity of injuries to car occupants can be effected. Automobiles; Collisions; Crash severity; Deceleration; Drivers; Head on collisions; Impact tests; Manual safety belts; Simulation; Testing; Vehicle occupants