USABILITY STUDY OF THE UNIVERSAL ANCHORAGE SYSTEM(UAS) FOR CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS (CRS) IN SCHOOLBUSES AND PASSENGER VEHICLES

摘要

There have been no usability studies assessing the new Child Restraint System (CRS) Universal AnchorageSystem (UAS) since the system’s implementation in Canada in 2002. A Within-Subjects design researchstudy involving forty-eight participants was conducted to evaluate how effectively users installed CRSswithin a vehicle and a school bus when using different Lower Anchorage Connector (LAC) and Top Tetherdesigns. The research indicates that users are not familiar with the UAS, and that safe installation of CRSswhen using the UAS is not intuitive, resulting in significant installation safety errors. Furthermore, CRSusers do not understand the severity of their installation errors, and the impact these errors have oncompromising child safety. Industry and Regulators must increase UAS awareness, to inform users of thenew UAS design and its components, and how the UAS impacts correct and safe CRS installation.