Police officers on duty wear personal protective equipment (PPE), typically consisting of a police belt with various accessories, a protective vest and a gun. In two frontal crash tests with belted midsize male ATDs in the front seats, the effect of PPE on occupant restraint performance was investigated. The ATDs were wearing regular clothing in the reference test and additional police PPE in the second test. While the ATD responses did not indicate an injury risk from the protective vest, the police belt with accessories prevented tight lap-belt fit, causing more forward displacement and higher leg loadings.

In a behavioural study, belt-wearing patterns were evaluated in a realistic setting. Thirty-six police officers were partnered as 18 teams to respond in a police car to a false alarm, both in a normal driving scenario and an emergency scenario. In 46% of cases the lap-belt was placed over or even above the police belt, increasing the risk for abdominal injury. In another 46% of cases the shoulder-belt was placed either too far outward or inward. Misplacements were mainly due to interference with items worn as part of the PPE. Careful positioning of the accessories would improve belt fit and should be promoted.