Automobile seat belt design: minimizing the risk of serious and fatal injury on senior drivers

Abstract

A proper use of seat belts is an effective means of preventing serious injury or death in a motor vehicle crash. However, injuries caused by the seat belt itself may result in serious injury to the user.

This article examines how to minimize the risk of serious and fatal injuries in older adults, resulting from seat belts itself in crash involvement, with the aim of improving the design, ergonomic and anthropometric adjust, and the comfort of seat belts.

The research methodology used is descriptive and correlates recent automotive studies, seat belt laws, road accident statistics, crash tests, medical reports, ergonomic and anthropometric data, and elderly health evaluations.

This study allowed to conclude that the seat belts design, more marketed in vehicles, with three attachment points, are not the most adequate to the anthropometry, physical fragility and weakness, comfort, and safety in elderly users. From this research, we propose improvement aspects to consider in seat belts design to minimize this problem.