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The objective of this analysis is to evaluate the effectiveness of restraints in preventing injury-producing contacts of specific body regions, such as the head or chest, with specific interior components. In order to make comparisons by restraint use, an injury rate is calculated as the number of injury-producing contacts per hundred involved occupants. Data, including the Occupant Injury Classification (OIC), are from the 1988-92 National Accident Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS). The analysis presented is limited to passenger vehicle drivers in towaway, frontal impacts. Injury-producing contact rates are compared for four restraint configurations: unrestrained, three-point belted, driver airbag alone, and driver airbag plus three-point belt. For each restraint configuration, contact rates are compared by three categories of injury severity, AIS 1, AIS 2, and AIS 3-6, body region injured, and contact area producing the injury.

Rollover and ejection are associated with heavy-truck occupant fatalities almost twice as frequently as with passenger-car occupant fatalities. A panel reviewed 41 in-depth cases to assess the possible effectiveness of restraint use and the contribution of rollover and ejection to the fatal injuries. The panel's responses indicated that belt use was expected to be particularly effective in preventing fatalities resulting from occupant ejection. A review of the proportion of ejections by model year indicated that 1972 model year and newer heavy trucks have about 20 percent fewer ejections than pre-1972 heavy trucks. Ejection through the doors was reduced by 80 percent. This difference seems to reflect the effectiveness of FMVSS 206, which required stronger door latches.