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December 31, 2006
SLED TESTS DEMONSTRATE UNRESTRAINED REAR OCCUPANT HAZARD
A sled test program at the University of Buffalo’s engineering school simulating head-on collisions has underscored the hazard of unrestrained rear-seat car occupants to themselves and others. "The tests show clearly that unrestrained rear-seat passengers place themselves, as well as their driver, at great risk of serious injury when involved in a head-on crash," said the lead researcher, an adjunct assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Tests using unbelted "adult" crash dummies and dummies approximating the size and weight of a 6-year-old child showed similar results: severe chest and head trauma for both passenger and belted driver. "It doesn't matter if it's an adult-sized person seated behind you, a small child, or even if you have packages or luggage placed in the seat behind you; if they are not belted or safely secured, they can inflict fatal injuries to a driver," the researcher said. The results were published last month in the Journal of Trauma. Most seat-belt laws for adults do not require adult rear-seat passengers to buckle up.
Posted by MVHAP at December 31, 2006 11:27 AM