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Neck injuries resulting from rear-end collisions rank among the top car safety problems and have serious implications for society. Many rear impact sled experiments with volunteers and PMHSs have been performed in the past. However, in most of these studies, T1 kinematics were not obtained so that the kinematic behavior of the neck could not be separated from the motion of the rest of the spine. Also, to the best knowledge of the authors, the effect of anthropometric parameters on the head-neck kinematics was not studied before. The objective of this study is to describe the kinematic response of the head-neck system during low severity rear end impacts. In addition, the effect of anthropometric parameters such as height, weight and neck circumference was investigated. For this purpose, a total of 43 tests with 19 subjects was performed. Values for Δv ranged between 6.5 and 9.5 km/h.

In the ISOITC221SC 121WG 1 “Child Restraint Systems” an ad-hoc group was created to develop a test standard for side impact protection for children in child seats. This paper shortly sumniarizes the ongoing experience and activities of this ad hoc group, which started in 1993 with an international inquiry at accident research units. Up to now a total database of 139 side impacts with MAIS 2+ injured 0-12 year old children has been analyzed. Focussed on accident investigation, a draft proposal for lateral child impact test standard conditions is being developed. One of the major tasks is to simulate the door intrusion effect, especially where the struck-side sitting child is involved. The paper describes new single-sled test experiments to simulate the door intrusion effect by a hinged door with impactor and a hinged door with mass-spring impact system. Suggestions for further work with side impact test procedures will be included.

The compulsory use of child restraint systems (CRS) in cars which came into force on 1st April 1993 led to a considerable increase in the belting rate of children in Germany, but between 30% and nearly 60% of the children aged 0<12 years are only restrained by an adult belt (lap or three-point belt). On the basis of a new accident material of the German Motor Insurers (593 restrained children 0 to 12 years involved in 448 car accidents) the injury risk of children being belted with an adult belt only is compared to those injury risks of children being restrained in different types of CRS (415-point belt, 3-point belt, impact shield, booster cushion). The form of restraint „child with an adult belt only” involves disproportionately high risks. In retrospective accident studies it is relatively difficult to get detailed information about the frequency and the exact kind of CRS misuse. Therefore 250 users of CRS were observed and interviewed.

Within the ISO/TC22/SC12/WG1 „Child Restraint Systems” an ad-hoc group was founded to develop a test standard for side impact protection for children in child seats. Within this task an international database of accidents with MAIS 2+ injured children has been established. This material, from 10 research institutes, compiling a total database of 139 side impacts of children from 0-12 years, has been analyzed. From this sample a selected database with 69 cases has been assembled, where cases with misuse, ejection and catastrophic intrusions have been excluded to focus on accidents with correct working restraint systems. A detailed description of the selected accidents is given. For children sitting in a CRS, severe to critical injuries were observed mostly for head and cervical-spine, whereas 2/3- point belted children showed a higher incidence of thorax and abdominal injuries.