With increasing interest in mitigating occupant injuries in non‐collinear crashes, it is necessary to develop a clear understanding of the scope of the problem in real‐world crashes. Observations from experimental and field data studies indicate that oblique occupant motion can affect restraint interaction, and the direction of force of the impact alone may not sufficiently describe occupant motion. The objective of this study is to define a relationship between coded, vehicle‐based crash deformation descriptors and the kinematics of belt‐restrained occupants in frontal crashes. Cases involving seriously‐injured, restrained first‐row occupants in frontal crashes were selected from two US field data collection programmes:​ the National Automotive Sampling System‐Crashworthiness Data System (NASS‐CDS);​ and the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN). Crash analysis experts examined available case evidence to assess occupant kinematics and restraint interaction. A total of 230 case occupants were assessed – 187 drivers and 43 right front passengers – in crashes with varying degrees of front overlap and directions of force. The findings suggest that occupant kinematics may not be sufficiently described by crash damage measures, and that oblique and collinear occupant trajectories appear to occur in crashes with similar damage descriptors.