Citation

Nelson WD. Proc. Am. Assoc. Automot. Med. Annu. Conf. 1971; 15: 27-46.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1971, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper deals with the subject of lap-shoulder belt effectiveness. Actual field collision vehicles are illustrated with the details of the lap and shoulder restrained occupants to support the theme that properly used lap and shoulder restraint systems can reduce injury severity in automobile collisions. Presently, approximately 40% of the passenger cars registered in the United States are equipped with lap and shoulder belt systems, but few persons use them.

Not only is it of concern to encourage the use of the lap-shoulder belt system but also to encourage the correct usage so that the maximum benefits are available if needed. Although it is difficult to establish exactly how the system is being worn, it is suspected that some of the injuries could have been reduced even greater if the restraints were worn as specified by the manufacturer. The manufacturer's instructions were developed from observations of anthropomorphic dummy and human cadaver actions under controlled test environments.