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While adult head injuries have been studied over the past six decades, few studies have investigated pediatric head injury mechanics. This paper presents non-injurious head accelerations during various activities in a pediatric population. Six males and six females aged 8–11 years old were equipped with a validated head sensor package and head kinematics were measured while performing a series of playground-type activities. Maximum resultant values across all participants and activities were 25.7 g (range 3.0 g to 25.7 g), 16.0 rad/s (range 10.4 rad/s to 16.0 rad/s), and 1705 rad/s2 (range 520 rad/s2 to 1705 rad/s2) for linear acceleration, angular velocity, and angular acceleration, respectively. Mean maximum resultant values across all participants and activities were 9.7 g (range 2.1 g to 9.7 g) and 734 rad/s2 (range 188 rad/s2 to 734 rad/s2) for linear and angular acceleration, respectively.

For over 30 years, there has been a safety standard in the United States that governs the design and performance of child restraint systems, and since 1981 this standard has prescribed dynamic test requirements for the performance of child restraint systems (CRS) in frontal collisions. However, this standard does not include a dynamic test specifically designed to evaluate the performance of CRSs during side impact collisions. One of the reasons a side impact standard has not been implemented is that feasible countermeasures have not been identified. This study addresses this issue by evaluating the effectiveness of padding as a countermeasure in side impact collisions. Head acceleration data were collected during both drop testing and side impact sled testing with and without the use of energy absorbing padding in the CRS side wing.

Review of field accident data is an important tool in understanding injuries in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Multiple databases are available that contain information about traffic-related traumatic injuries, many of which are not commonly used in traffic injury research. This work discusses some databases commonly used to evaluate field accident data and introduces additional databases (primarily hospital, medical, and trauma) that include traffic-related injuries. These data represent a new source of information about MVC traumas and often contain additional health information. The strengths and limitations of each database for evaluating vehicular injuries are compared and discussed.

Police accident reports (PARs) of motor vehicle collisions typically include information regarding occupant restraint use. It has been suggested that PARs overestimate restraint use. Previous studies comparing PAR restraint usage with that determined during a NASS/CDS in-depth investigation found agreement in approximately 90% of cases. The accuracy of PAR-reported restraint usage for outboard vehicle occupants was compared to that determined by NASS/CDS investigators as a function of injury severity and crash type. Restrained occupants were more likely to be identified correctly in the PAR, and unrestrained occupants were more likely to be accurately identified as injury severity increased. Differences in the accuracy of PAR-reported restraint usage rates for different crash types were small.

This study integrates data from multiple sources to obtain a more complete understanding of inertially-induced pediatric cervical spine injury risk and the role of impact severity and restraint type. Data from previously conducted frontal crash and sled tests using a variety of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in various restraint configurations were compiled and compared to injury assessment reference values (IARVs). The data show that neck loads in frontal collisions increase with increasing delta-V. At high delta-Vs, the neck loads correspond to a relatively high risk of neck injury regardless of restraint configuration. Pediatric inertial cervical spine injury risk in frontal collisions is governed primarily by the energy involved in the collision.

Accident investigators are often required to determine if an occupant was using a seat belt during a collision. Substantial research has been conducted on the types of physical evidence generated on a seat belt by occupant loading during a collision. However, very little research has been conducted concerning the characteristics of physical evidence that is created when an occupant uses their seat belt improperly. Case studies with misused seat belts were reviewed showing tell-tales of atypical or improper restraint usage. Occupants also experienced injuries consistent with greater excursion and contact with vehicle interior surfaces. To compare the physical evidence of properly and improperly used restraints, automotive frontal sled tests were conducted with matched pairs of anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) with seat belts used both correctly and incorrectly. When the seat belt was used improperly, distinctly different marks were observed.