INJURIES TO RESTRAINED OCCUPANTS IN FAR-SIDE CRASHES. IN: OCCUPANT AND VEHICLE RESPONSES IN ROLLOVERS

This chapter on injuries to restrained occupants in far-side crashes is from a comprehensive text on occupant and vehicle responses in rollovers. In this chapter, the authors used the National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS), 1988-1998, to determine distributions of serious injuries and injuring contacts for belted occupants in far-side impacts. The results showed that the most harmful injury source is the opposite side of the car, and the second most harmful is the safety belt. The results of vehicle-to-vehicle side impact with a 60 degree crash vector also showed differences in the extent of restraint offered by different belt systems. In all three point belt systems tested, the shoulder belt was ineffective in preventing large amounts of head incursions. Restraint was achieved by the lap belt loading the abdomen. The baseline belt system with a fixed latch plate and two retractors permitted the lowest head excursion of the systems tested.