RESEARCH IN BIOMECHANICS OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION

This paper discusses the biomechanical bases for occupant protection a gainst frontal and side impact. Newton's Laws of Motion are used to il lustrate the effect of a crash on restrained and unrestrained occupant s, and the concept of ride down is discussed. Occupant protection thro ugh the use of energy absorbing materials is described, and the mechan ism of injury of some of the more common injuries is explained. The ro le of the three-point belt and the airbag in frontal protection is dis cussed along with the potential injuries that can result from the use of these restraint systems. Side impact protection is more difficult t o attain but some protection can be derived from the use of padding or a side impact airbag. It is concluded that the front seat occupants a re adequately protected against frontal impact if belts are worn in an airbag equipped vehicle. Side impact protection may not be uniform in all vehicles.