Bernat, Albert R.

Affiliations

Abstract

This paper discusses concepts to further improve the effectiveness of Safety Belt Systems in vehicles equipped with airbags. Although safety belts have demonstrated significant benefit in preventing and mitigating occupant injuries, the addition of the airbag as a supplementary restraint system has introduced additional parameters for occupant protection which need to be incorporated to optimize overall restraint system performance. Generally, the airbag has contributed to injury reduction as an integral part of a total occupant restraint system. However, when certain conditions are present in a crash, the interaction between the occupant, safety belt and airbag may result in increased occupant loading over a safety belt only restraint system. This increased loading may lead to higher chest acceleration and chest compression.

"Smart" safety belt systems sense specific crash event characteristics, including crash severity, and respond accordingly. Rather than deliver a single level of occupant restraint, "Smart" safety belt systems have the potential to respond with varying levels of occupant restraint and energy absorption. Elements for optimizing the Total Safety System combination include safety belt pretensioning, load limiters, energy absorption devices and complementary "Smart" airbag systems. Safety belt enhancements which may present meaningful occupant protection benefits are discussed.

Cited Works (1)

Year	Entry
1995	Mertz HJ, Williamson JE, Vander Lugt DA. The effect of limiting shoulder belt load with air bag restraint. In: Proceedings of the SAE International Congress & Exposition. February 27–March 2, 1995; Detroit, MI. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE 950886.

Cited By (5)

Year	Entry
1997	Czernakowski W, Bell R. The effects of belt pretensioners on various child restraint designs in frontal impacts. In: Proceedings of the 2nd Child Occupant Protection Symposium. November 12, 1997; Orlando, FL.217-229. SAE 973314.
2015	Kent RW, Forman J. Restraint system biomechanics. In: Yoganandan N, Nahum AM, Melvin JW, eds. Accidental Injury: Biomechanics and Prevention. 3rd ed. New York: Springer; 2015:113-141.
1995	Johannessen HG, Mackay M. Why "intelligent" automotive occupant restraint systems? In: 39th Annual Proceedings, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). October 16-18, 1995; Chicago, IL.519-526.
2007	Kent RW, Purtsezov SV, Pilkey WD. Limiting performance analysis of a seat belt system with slack. Int J Impact Eng. August 2007;34(8):1382-1395.
2008	Bose D. Numerical Estimation of Occupant State Parameters in a Dynamic Loading Environment [PhD thesis]. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia; August 2008.