Assessment of the static fit of automobile lap-belt systems on front-seat passengers

Abstract

While automobile seat belts are recognized as reducing injury in frontal collisions, the lap belt can cause injury to the abdominal contents during impact. A lap belt which is malpositioned, i.e., above the anterior superior iliac spines (ASIS) of the pelvis before impact, is suggested as a causative factor in many of these injuries. A questionnaire was completed by 198 adult passengers on lap-belt fit as well as vehicle, anthropometric and behavioural factors. All measures were self-reported. The fit of automobile seat belts was also investigated in the laboratory to determine some of the factors thought important in the pre-impact position of the lap belt. Seven factors, subject size, subject sitting posture, clothing thickness, vehicle configuration, vehicle seat position, seat back angle and the handling of the belt by the occupant, were assessed on 51 subjects sitting in six simulated vehicles. The sample purposely included a disproportionate number of tall, short, heavy and thin subjects.

The questionnaire responses indicated that a high proportion (49%) of lap belts were found to be malpositioned in a normal sitting posture. Moving around in the seat, especially slouching, greatly increased the proportion of malpositions. It was noteworthy that wearing a heavy winter coat did not cause belt malposition. A high incidence of malpositioned lap belts was also found in the laboratory study with 42% of the belts having their centre-lines above the ASIS and 89% having part of the belt overlying the ASIS in a normal upright seated position with the seat in the middle of its fore/aft movement. Slouching in the seat significantly increased this proportion. The malposition rate was adversely affected by a forward seat position in a significant manner. There was a large increase in the malposition rate when the occupant attached the belt compared to when the experimenter attached it, with malposition rates of 43% and 19% respectively in the rearmost seat position. There was no statistically significant effect of clothing thickness on belt fit. Although statistically significant correlations between belt inclination and malposition were found, no clear-cut belt-angle existed above which satisfactory fit existed.

Keywords:

• Automobile
• Collision
• Abdominal injury
• Lap belt
• Seat belts