Assessing Child Belt Fit, Volume 2: Effect of Restraint Configuration, Booster Seat Designs, Seating Procedure, and Belt Fit on the Dynamic Response of the Hybrid III 10YO ATD in Sled Tests

摘要

A total of 49 dynamic sled tests were performed with the Hybrid III 10YO to examine issues relating to child belt fit. The goals of these tests were to evaluate ATD response to realistic belt geometries and belt fit, develop methods for accurate, repeatable evaluation of restraint conditions for older children, identify dependent measures that differentiate between good and poor restraint performance, and relate ATD performance to static belt fit with children. The first series of tests examined the effects of lap belt tension, belt configuration, and seating procedure on dynamic responses of the ATD. The second series of tests examined how different designs of booster seat lap belt guides and shoulder belt guides affect performance. In addition, the ATDs response to different shoulder belt and lap belt geometries was evaluated. With regard to test procedures, use of a lap/shoulder belt with a sliding latchplate produced similar results to using a lap/shoulder belt with fixed anchorages.