Seat Belts-Limits of Protection: A Study of Fatal Injuries Among Belt Wearers

Because the use of seat belts when available is mandatory in Australia and now at a high level, a high proportion of those who crash are wearing seat belts. The further protection of these occupants is high priority. This paper reports a study of a series of fatally injured occupants of recent-model passenger cars, performed in order to investigate the potential for extension of the limits of seat belt performance in crashes that are currently fatal. Improvements in seat belt design and installation should reduce a proportion of current losses from death and injury, but further reductions in these losses will demand attention not only to the crashworthiness of the car but also to the characteristics of the other vehicles and roadside structures that are commonly impacted.