Citation

Cromack JR. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1980; 24: 379-395.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1980, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has spent over $75 million on contract research programs related to the development, test, survey, education and promotion of active and passive occupant restraints for motor vehicles. Some of the research findings related to occupant restraints have resulted from such multi-faceted programs as the experimental and research safety vehicle programs, the multidisciplinary accident investigation programs and others. Approximately 2500 restraint system tests were conducted during the period of 1969-1978, including 1624 tests of air bags, 320 of standard belts, 79 of passive belts and 152 of inflatable belts. This paper examines various aspects of the NHTSA sponsored restraint system testing programs, including: type of restraint used, type of surrogate, injury severity, out-of-position occupant tests, test speed, test conducted in accordance with the conditions of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, compliance/failure, etc. The program, conducted under contract to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), was initiated by NTSB in response to an inquiry from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Public Works and Transportation. The data for the program were extracted from NHTSA contractor reports. The resulting file is thought to be one of the most complete and concise general summaries of data from NHTSA contracted tests of occupant restraint systems conducted during the 1969-1978 time period.