RESEARCH PORTFOLIO

Epidemiologic Investigation of Child Restraint Installation Position and Serious Injury among Children in Motor Vehicle Crashes

Principal Investigator: Rachel Myers, PhD

The goal of this study is to create a unique source of epidemiologic crash data that enables novel description of use and installation patterns of child restraints among crash-involved children and— following linkage with hospital discharge and death certificate data—novel description of child occupant injury outcomes based on restraint use and installation (rear- vs. forward-facing).

2015-2016

Evaluation of Side Impacts with a Frontal Component for Children in Child Restraint Systems (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

This project quantifies kinematics and injury metrics for 3 year old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) in oblique side impacts with a focus on assessing the potential for head injury, thus fueling understanding of head injury mechanisms for rear, center-seated occupants. This project, with its focus on an understudied area, will assess the need to prioritize future research and development efforts for car restraint system (CRS) manufacturers in the…

2014-2015

Quantifying Children’s Posture in the Rear Seat: A Naturalistic Study (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The long-term goal of this research is to improve test conditions and optimize restraint systems to mitigate injury to actual child occupants in real world crash scenarios. The objective is to quantify the positions and postures that rear seat child occupants assume while riding in vehicles in order to provide data for development of both technological and educational interventions to mitigate injuries due to sub-optimal positioning. The specific aim…
Evaluation of Side Impacts with a Frontal Component for Children in Child Restraint Systems (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

This project quantifies kinematics and injury metrics for 3 year old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) in oblique side impacts with a focus on assessing the potential for head injury, thus fueling understanding of head injury mechanisms for rear, center-seated occupants. This project, with its focus on an understudied area, will assess the need to prioritize future research and development efforts for car restraint system (CRS) manufacturers in the…

2010-2011

Injury Risk to Belted Occupants (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to continue exploration of the injuries and their causation experienced by seat belt restrained occupants - both adults and children - in the rear seat in order to understand if pre-teens and adolescents are at an elevated risk.
Head Injury Contact Points for Children Seated on the Rear Rows in Frontal Crashes: Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to delineate head/face injury causation scenarios for rear-seated, restrained children in frontal crashes and create a contact map of the vehicle interior.

2016-2017

Evaluation of Side Impacts with a Frontal Component for Children in Child Restraint Systems (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

This project quantifies kinematics and injury metrics for 3 year old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) in oblique side impacts with a focus on assessing the potential for head injury, thus fueling understanding of head injury mechanisms for rear, center-seated occupants. This project, with its focus on an understudied area, will assess the need to prioritize future research and development efforts for car restraint system (CRS) manufacturers in the…

2013-2014

Quantifying Children’s Posture in the Rear Seat: A Naturalistic Study (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The long-term goal of this research is to improve test conditions and optimize restraint systems to mitigate injury to actual child occupants in real world crash scenarios. The objective is to quantify the positions and postures that rear seat child occupants assume while riding in vehicles in order to provide data for development of both technological and educational interventions to mitigate injuries due to sub-optimal positioning. The specific aim…

2012-2013

Quantifying Children’s Posture in the Rear Seat: A Naturalistic Study (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The long-term goal of this research is to improve test conditions and optimize restraint systems to mitigate injury to actual child occupants in real world crash scenarios. The objective is to quantify the positions and postures that rear seat child occupants assume while riding in vehicles in order to provide data for development of both technological and educational interventions to mitigate injuries due to sub-optimal positioning. The specific aim…
Kinematics of Rear Seat Child Occupants in Small Overlap Crashes: Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The long-term goal of this line of research is to gain insight into injury causation for common injuries seen by restrained occupants in the rear seat. The project objective is to quantify the kinematics of rear seat adolescent occupants in small overlap crashes and to explore the combination of crash dynamics and initial occupant position that leads to movement of head towards the lateral structures of the vehicle.

2009-2010

NASS Special Study on Child Occupant Protection: Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The goal of this study is to adapt the Partners for Children Passenger Safety (PCPS) data collection instrument to a shorter instrument that can be implemented via phone, web, or via self-administered hard copy, while also developing and evaluating the feasibility of subject selection, contact, and consent procedures.
Child Restraint Systems in Side Impact Crashes: Injury Patterns and Causation (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to further understand side impact protection for child restraints through an analysis of the structural interaction between the child restraint system and the vehicle.

2005-2006

Cervical Range of Motion in Young Children: Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

This study obtained active range of motion measurements on normal, healthy 3 to 10-year-old children. This not previously available data was used to inform enhancements to child dummy design.

2011-2012

Injury Risk to Belted Occupants (Multiple Year Project)

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to continue exploration of the injuries and their causation experienced by seat belt restrained occupants - both adults and children - in the rear seat in order to understand if pre-teens and adolescents are at an elevated risk.

Evaluation of Hyperthermia Prevention Technologies

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to evaluate countermeasures designed to prevent children 0 to 24 months of age from being left behind in closed, parked vehicles, which has the potential to result in hyperthermia.

Clavicle Fractures Due to Belt Loading in Rear-Seated Adolescent Occupants

Principal Investigator: John H. Bolte IV, PhD

The objectives of this research are to investigate the fracture tolerance of the pediatric clavicle through statistical, analytical, and radiological techniques. Using information obtained from crash data, the study will examine the sensitivity of the pediatric shoulder's response to belt loading in both oblique and frontal loading scenarios.

Clavicle Fractures Due to Belt Loading in Rear-Seated Adolescent Occupants

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

Evaluation of Hyperthermia Prevention Technologies

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2008-2009

Effect of Seat and Seat Belt Geometry on Abdominal Injuries in Belt-Restrained Children: Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The primary objective of this study is to identify the quantitative characteristics of seat and seat belt geometry that lead to abdominal injury in seat belt-restrained child occupants.
Child Restraint Systems in Side Impact Crashes: Injury Patterns and Causation (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Kristy Arbogast, PhD

The objective of this study is to further understand side impact protection for child restraints through an analysis of the structural interaction between the child restraint system and the vehicle.