SIMULATION OF THE EFFECTS OF VEHICLE IMPACTS ON RESTRAINED CHILD OCCUPANTS - PART C: PERFORMANCE OF ADULT SEAT BELTS WHEN USED TO RESTRAIN CHILD DUMMIES IN SIMULATED FRONTAL IMPACTS

Vehicle design and safety the Transport Act of 1981 will lead to increased use of adult lap and diagonal belts by children aged between one and fourteen years. Since children in the range one to 4.3/4 years are the least likely to fit adult seat belts, the tests desribed concentrate on this age range using a three-year old TNO 50 percentile dummy. The performance of adult restraints on children has been judged against the requirements of the two current UK child restraint standards. Simulated frontal impact tests to ECE44 and ECE16 were carried out on the kl/mp dynamic test rig at the Middlesex polytechnic. Results showed that the lap and diagonal belt configuration complied with the forward movement and chest deceleration limits of ECE44 and it was predicted that no head contact would occur in the majority of accidents. The lap belt only configuration resulted in excessive forward movement, with a substantial risk of head contact in 86 per cent of current European vehicles with the front seat at its maximum forward position. With the seat in the mid-way position, head contact was possible in about 50 per cent of family cars. For Part A of the article see TRIS no. 362299. For Part B see TRIS no. 373342. (TRRL)