Children in Adult Seat Belts and Child Harnesses: Crash Sled Comparisons of Dummy Responses

Abstract

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Many children are still restrained in adult belts alone, even though an adult seat belt is not optimal for small occupants for whom a child restraint would be safer and more desirable. Therefore, a test program was designed to investigate the impact responses of three dummies representing children aged 18 months, three years and six years. The simulations were sled runs at a delta-V of 48 km/h with accelerations of 27 g. The dummies were restrained in adult lap/shoulder, lap-only and child harness belt systems.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Neck shear, axial tension and bending moments were rather higher with a lap/shoulder than a lap-only belt. However, the lap/shoulder system minimised dummy head and upper torso excursion, head acceleration and pelvic accelerations.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">Lap belt loads, head accelerations, HIC and chest accelerations were higher with the lap belt alone than with the lap/shoulder belt. The lap belt also permitted considerable excursion and head contact with the hard frame of the test seat, which affected HIC and neck loads. The lap/harness system gave generally the highest head and neck forces.</div>