Search Results

The SAE J826 H-point machine was designed to measure occupant accommodation dimensions relative to a loaded seat. It has become an intrinsic part of various crash dummy set up processes, but it has never had a formal calibration procedure. Whilst H-point location appears to be consistent from one device to another, the weight hanger locations show greater variability, and this can consequently affect the height and backset measurements of head restraints taken with a head restraint measuring device mounted upon the weight hangers. This paper describes the development of a calibration procedure and jig to measure the location of the weight hangers so that adjustments can be made if necessary. This procedure and calibration tool will enable more consistent seat evaluations, dummy set up, and consistently effective anti-whiplash seat designs.

We compared 4032 ‘intersection, right-angle’ crashes (IRC), and a random sample of other two-vehicle crashes, selected after stratifying on driver age from all police-reported crashes in British Columbia, Canada in 2002. The proportion of injured occupants varied from 20.8% (control crashes, older drivers) to 27.8% (IRC, younger drivers). Whiplash was the most frequently reported injury (8–10% of all vehicle occupants) but was less common in IRC crashes than other two-vehicle crashes. Overall the odds of injury was 30% higher in IRC crashes than other crashes after controlling for environmental factors. Damage to the vehicles was also markedly higher for IRC crashes. When extent of damage was controlled the odds of injury to occupants was only 13% higher. For specific injuries, however, notably concussion (OR = 1.89) and fracture (OR = 1.54), a significant increase in risk remained. Whiplash, in contrast, was significantly less frequent (OR = 0.85).

The twenty-first century finds the automobile industry facing an accelerating pace of change in vehicle design, materials and manufacturing processes. More daring vehicle styling, innovative designs (modularity, platform commonization, hybrid powertrains, side airbag curtains, electronics), new materials and applications (dual-phase and boron steels, structural foam, aluminum, composites), manufacturing techniques (hydroforming, tailored blanks, weld-bonding, laser welding) and the like are offering consumers an increasing variety of product choices, with continuous improvements in comfort, safety, convenience, durability, fuel economy and emission reductions. In spite of all these advances in technologies, the reality is that vehicles will continue to be involved in collisions. The rate of increase in average collision repair costs more than offsets decreases in collision claims frequencies.

Soft tissue neck injury has become the most frequent type of injury sustained in motor vehicle accidents. Most of these injuries occur in rear-end impacts. Consequently, vehicle head restraint geometry has become an important issue in vehicle design and injury prevention. Vehicle crashworthiness and safety ratings are published by auto insurers around the world including ICBC, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (Canada), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (U.S.A.) and the New Car Assessment Program (Australia). These vehicle ratings include head restraint ratings based on static measurements of head restraint geometry. The authors developed a device for measuring head restraint geometry used in these ratings, and detail the results of measurements for 40 current vehicles in North America.

This paper describes usability trials conducted to determine the ease of use and incidence of misuse of four alternative child restraint/vehicle attachment systems compared to the current system attached via the vehicle seat belt and a top tether. The accuracy of use of each of the alternative systems was significantly higher than the conventional system, and the 76 participants reported they were much easier to use. Systems which utilise the ISOFIX pins were used without difficulty by participants who had no prior experience with this concept. The systems which depend on the users to tighten side straps on the child restraints were improperly installed more frequently than the ISOFIX pin systems.