System Safety for Children

摘要

A child safety seat for automobiles is a system safety problem. Child Restraint Systems (CRSs) are often presented as objects of misuse. Designers consider child seats as a collection of components when in fact a child safety seat is a system needing to be adaptable for children, vehicles and parents deserving hazard analysis and human factors/ergonomics evaluation supplemented by testing. Selected child car seat warnings and instructions were studied using ISO 8317, a standard empirical test procedure. In a study of warning compliance forty-five parent-caretakers were presented with a child car seat restraint (CRS) with accompanying warnings and instructions. They were then asked to install a child car seat (CRS) in a vehicle while being observed. Results indicated errors of installation and errors of fit together called child restraint misuse. Fewer errors of misuse were found with on restraint warnings and instructions containing mandated safety instructions as well as photographs and graphics showing correct fit and restraint positions. Several clear method and design recommendations emanated for warnings, instructions and child passenger restraint systems.