Field effectiveness of two restraint systems: the 3-point manual belt versus the 2-point motorized-shoulder/manual lap belt

Accid Anal Prev. 1995 Aug;27(4):607-10. doi: 10.1016/0001-4575(94)00082-w.

Abstract

The research question addressed in this paper is whether or not occupant death, injury, and ejection outcomes differ between vehicles equipped with 3-point manual belts versus 2-point motorized-shoulder/manual-lap (motorized/manual) belt systems. Census crash data sets for the states of Washington and Texas, and the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) were subset to provide data on front-outboard occupants of Ford Escorts involved in crashes in calendar years 1981-1991. Logistic regression analyses showed that occupants of vehicles equipped with the motorized/manual system experienced 11.7% to 26.4% fewer K- or A-level injuries than occupants of vehicles equipped with the 3-point system. Similar analyses of FARS data showed lower ejection rates for occupants of vehicles with the motorized/manual system in both rollover and nonrollover crashes. The installation of the motorized/manual system provided a substantial safety benefit over the manual 3-point system in the time periods examined.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / mortality
  • Accidents, Traffic / prevention & control
  • Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Accidents, Traffic / trends
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Population Surveillance
  • Risk Factors
  • Seat Belts / classification*
  • Seat Belts / statistics & numerical data*
  • Texas / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Washington / epidemiology