• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.185-191
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• 2007

The new FMVSS 208, 213, 225 regulations include automatic suppression of airbags to prevent low-risk airbag deployment and the use of child seats with a rigid-bar anchor system. The regulations mean that children must sit in the rear seat, but do not include other specific safety measures for their protection. In the rear, restraint equipment consists of three-point shoulder/lap belts for the outside seats and a static two-point lap belt in the middle, with no additional devices such as pretensioners or load limiters; this is far from optimal for children. This study investigated injury rates using a 3-year-old-child dummy. ECE R44 sled tests used a booster, a speed of 48 km/h, and a 26- to 32-g rectangular deceleration pulse. While seated on a booster, the dummies were restrained by an adult shoulder/lap three-point belt. HIC_15 msec, Chest G and Nij were somewhat lower with an emergency locking retractor (ELR)+pretensioner+load limiter than with only an ELR or with ELR+pretensioner. However, the current seat-belt system results in injury rates that exceed the limit for OOP performance under the new FMVSS 208 regulations.