Observations of seating position of front seat occupants relative to the side of the vehicle

Dinas, Arthur; Fildes, Brian N

This study was an on-road observational study of the seating position and limb position of front seat occupants relevant to the side of the car for a representative sample of occupants during straight road driving and turning manoeuvres. A video camera captured over 650 front-on images of passenger car occupants in Metropolitan Melbourne. Results showed a significant numbers of occupants were seated out-of-position while travelling on the road and that a number of these were seated in a manner that may possibly result in injury from the deployment of a side airbag. This was particularly so while turning, a situation common in many side impacts. A substantial number of front seat occupants’ arms were exposed to severe injury in the event of a side impact crash. These findings highlight a number of aspects of seating behaviour of driver and front passengers that need to be taken into account when designing side impact airbags.

Year

Entry

1998

McKendrew C, Hines MH, Litsky A, Saul RA. Assessment of forearm injury due to a deploying driver-side air bag. In: Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 31–June 4, 1998; Windsor, Ontario, Canada.1044-1054.

1996

Stabler KM, Cullen E, Mackay GM, Parkin S. How people sit in cars: implications for driver and passenger safety in lateral collisions: the case for advanced restraints. In: Proceedings of the 1996 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 11-13, 1996; Dublin, Ireland.321-336.

1994

Pilhall S, Korner J, Ouchterlony B. SIPSBAG: a new, seat-mounted side impact airbag system. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 23-26, 1994; Munich, Germany.1026-1034.

1996

Saul RA, Backaitis SH, Beebe MS, Ore LS. Hybrid III dummy instrumentation and assessment of arm injuries during air bag deployment. In: Proceedings of the 40th Stapp Car Crash Conference. November 4-6, 1996; Albuquerque, NM. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:85-94. SAE 962417.

1998

Igarashi T, Ehama M, Sunabashiri Y. Development of side impact air bag system for head chest protection. In: Proceedings of the 16th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). May 31–June 4, 1998; Windsor, Ontario, Canada.1708-1712.