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Throughout the motorized world seat belts are now accepted and worn by the majority of front seat occupants and by an increasing proportion of rear seat passengers, and data is presented to illustrate current rates. Current seat belts and airbags have fixed characteristics, usually optimized around the 30 mph flat barrier test for airbags with an otherwise unrestrained 50th percentile male dummy, and in the case of the restrained dummy the restraints are optimized to the 35 mph NCAP crash test. Some real world population characteristics are described, particularly the ranges in sitting positions, weights, sitting heights and biomechanical tolerance variation. Some of the population characteristics of frontal crash severities are also summarized. The desirable parameters of future restraint systems which would have variable characteristics are outlined in an effort to address these population issues.

The frequency and severity of leg injuries to motorcycle riders is illustrated through published literature. Of injured riders receiving hospital treatment, over 50% have a significant leg injury. In environments where crash helmet use is high, the leg is the body region most frequently injured. Within that anatomical region the lower leg is damaged most frequently. The problem of injury severity and disability is discussed briefly where the AIS Procedure is shown to have limited value, particularly for the lower leg. The generally severe nature of motorcyclists' leg injuries is emphasized in terms of the frequent need for shin and bone grafting, and the heel flap injury almost unique to motorcycling is discussed. Crush and impact injury mechanisms are reviewed, and then some possibilities for the introduction of leg protection and crashworthiness of motorcycles as a concept is mentioned.

Seat belt use rates are discussed and some vehicle, user and environmental factors influencing voluntary usage rates are outlined. Educational efforts in raising usage rates in Britain voluntarily, showed a ceiling level of 30 to 40%. The legislative process leading up to the passage of the seat belt law in Britain is described and the main issues of public policy are outlined. The provisions of the law introduced in January 1983 are summarised, and then its effect on belt usage rates, deaths and casualties is reviewed. A 25% reduction in deaths and injuries on a year-on-year basis occurred coincident with an increase in belt use from about 40% to 90%. No significant changes appear to have occurred in other casualty classes. Some of the practical problems which have appeared post-law are discussed. Finally, some longer term casualty rate data are presented to illustrate the role of the seat belt legislation in trends over the last decade.

Some aspects of the legislative and political process leading to the adoption of a seat belt law in Britain are outlined. The technical arguments in favour of such a law were successful in debates in which the freedom of choice was the main substantive counter-argument. The economic aspects of the decision were vital as were the outside influences of the specialist organisations and the media. Early indications are usage rates rising from 40% to 90% with the introduction of the belt law, and for the first five months of operation a reduction in fatal and serious casualties of some 20%. Control casualties, represented by rear occupants and pedestrians and motorcyclists, increased due to seasonal factors and therefore the 20% reduction in front seat car occupant casualties is probably conservative. Some post-law problems of belt use for small pregnant women and arthritis sufferers are mentioned, together with the difficulty of facial injuries to restrained drivers from steering wheels.

Some of the characteristics of traffic accidents involving small cars in Europe are reviewed. A classification procedure is suggested whereby crashes may be categorized by their equivalent test in the laboratory. A sample of accidents is used to illustrate this procedure and the collision characteristics. The limited relevance of the distributed frontal barrier test to real world accidents is shown. Examples of particular features which produce injury are illustrated by cases. Three-point belts are discussed, and some injuries associated with poor positioning are illustrated. Small car steering assembly design is mentioned because field experience suggests that actual function of the steering assemblies in crashes is still not optimal. Problems of seat deformation and mounting failures in relation to injury patterns are discussed briefly, and the crash performance of glass reinforced plastics is mentioned.