2018-2019

How Do Novel Seat Positions Impact Usability of Child Restraints?

Principal Investigator: Patrice Tremoulet, PhD

Autonomous driving technology offers manufacturers the opportunity to design vehicles with different interiors than traditional automobiles. It is important to consider the safety implications when contemplating different interior design possibilities, particularly for families with young children who will need to use child restraint systems. This study explores how having seats in non-traditional orientations within a vehicle may impact parents’…

Child Seats with Load Legs: Understanding the Response of the ATD in Mitigating Head Injury Risk Across Crash Directions

Principal Investigator: Aditya Belwadi, PhD

This study aims to quantify the response of the instrumented anthropomorphic test device (ATD) in rear-facing child seats with and without load legs in simulated frontal, oblique, and lateral impact crashes. The broad long-term objective of this line of research is to gain insight into ATD kinematics and kinetics as a function of the child seat.

Can the Startle Reflex be Manipulated to Reduce Take-over Time in Pre-crash Scenarios for Autonomous Driving?

Principal Investigator: Valentina Graci, PhD

This project examines if take-over reaction time to reach and turn the steering wheel during a simulated vehicle swerving is decreased by an acoustic startling pre-stimulus, i.e., a loud sound preceding the swerving event. Using a lateral oscillating sled device, two populations (adults vs. teens) will be studied and the role of driver awareness will be quantified by examining scenarios when the driver is ready to react and when the driver is involved…

Sensitivity Analysis on Factors that Influence Head Responses of Hybrid III 6-Year-Old ATD

Principal Investigator: Yun Seok Kang, PhD

This study aims to provide information that will allow child restraint system and vehicle engineers to understand the influence of neck cable tightness and repeated tests on responses of the Hybrid III 6-year-old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) head and neck in frontal impact scenarios, utilizing a controlled mini-sled system.

Biomechanics in Autonomous Vehicles: A Pilot Study to Explore Responses of Pediatric Occupants in Non-traditional Seating Conditions

Principal Investigator: Jalaj Maheshwari, MS

Autonomous vehicle seating designs have non-traditional seating positions, which potentially give rise to new impact conditions. Using computational modeling, this study explores the implications of non-normative seating conditions on booster seat-restrained pediatric occupants in simulated high-speed rear impacts.

Effectiveness of Boosters vs. Forward-facing Five-point Harness

Principal Investigator: Julie Mansfield, PhD

As the optimal time to transition a child from a forward-facing child restraint system to a booster is not currently clear, this study aims to help inform better guidelines for children during this transition. Statistical analyses will be conducted on cases in federally available databases and the mechanisms of injury in each type of seat will be analyzed to compile recommendations for industry interventions.

Effects of Adjacent Seat Positions on CRS Performance in Side Impacts

Principal Investigator: Julie Mansfield, PhD

Versatility in vehicle seating positions offer consumers the ability to adapt the vehicle environment to their family’s needs. However, it is currently not known how these various seat configurations and obstacles might interact with child restraint systems (CRS) in adjacent seats during side impacts. This study utilizes sled testing to define the performance outcomes of CRS in side impacts under specific seating configurations.

Understanding Child Restraint System Use on Airplanes

Principal Investigator: Aimee Palumbo, PhD, MPH

This study aims to identify strengths and critical gaps in flight attendant and parents’ knowledge and perceptions that lead to low child restraint system use for child airline passengers. Following surveys administered to both flight attendants and caregivers, analyses will estimate rates of CRS use and identify key themes and recommendations.

2017-2018

Evaluation of CRS and Vehicle Features Associated with Improved Top Tether Attachment Rates

Principal Investigator: John H. Bolte IV, PhD

Proper use of the top tether is associated with reduced head excursion and reduction of other injury metrics in forward-facing child restraint systems (FF CRS). Even imperfect top tether attachments can still provide some degree of protection to occupants. Unfortunately, the top tether is only attached in approximately 50% of FF CRS installations. Studies indicate that large percentages of caregivers do not realize that the top tether exists, and do…

Evaluating the Efficacy of Belt Positioning Booster Seat Design (High-back, Low-back and Heightless Booster) in Nearside Impacts with and without Side Curtain Air Bags

Principal Investigator: Aditya Belwadi, PhD

Belt-positioning booster seats are recommended for children who use vehicle seat belts as primary restraints but who are too small to obtain good belt fit. The vast majority of previous research evaluating the protection afforded by booster seats has been conducted in frontal crash conditions. This study focuses on nearside impacts, a crash condition that has gained attention in child occupant protection. The project builds on previous CChIPS work and…

Emergency Autonomous to Manual Takeover in Driving Simulator: Teens vs. Adult Drivers

Principal Investigator: Helen Loeb, PhD

Semi-autonomous vehicles are emerging, with some in the auto industry targeting 2020 for autonomous cars. A high level of vehicle automation has great potential to improve safety by dramatically cutting the traffic fatality rate. The challenge, however, is to deploy these vehicles safely. While the general expectation is that the self-driving technology will bring us ever closer to the Vision Zero objective of no traffic fatalities, it is imperative to…

Ensuring Safety of Children in Self-driving Vehicles

Principal Investigator: Patrice Tremoulet, PhD

With the launch of Uber, Lyft and other mobile applications, many parents are now relying on Uber to shuttle their children across town to afterschool activities or other functions. The question about the proper age for a minor to be unaccompanied in a cab becomes more complicated with the recent launches of Uber self-driving cabs in Pittsburgh and in San Francisco. At which age can a child ride unaccompanied by an adult in a self-driving car? How do…

Vertical Vehicle Kinematics in Frontal Crashes – Implications for Rear Row Occupants

Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

During a frontal crash test, the vehicle experiences principally longitudinal deceleration, but also vertical kinematics that cause the rear of the vehicle to move upward or “pitch” forward. In the literature, research studies on vehicle vertical kinematics in frontal crash tests is sparse but spans decades. A 2016 a study showed that the additional vehicle body pitch to a planar sled test was essential to reproducing ATD injury metrics observed in…

Efficacy of Automatic Emergency Braking During SHRP2 Rear-end Crashes

Principal Investigator: Thomas Seacrist, MBE

Among motor vehicle crashes, rear-ends are the most common form of crash, particularly among novice teen drivers. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) has the potential to prevent or reduce the severity of these rear-end crashes. The SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential efficacy of AEB on real-world crash scenarios. This project aims to recreate SHRP2 scenarios with the presence of AEB to determine if the…

Pediatric Response to Oblique Loading in Aircraft Seats with Standard and Inflatable Seat Belts

Principal Investigator: John H. Bolte IV, PhD

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that all children ride in a size-appropriate child restraint system (CRS) while onboard aircraft. As aircraft seating evolves to accommodate the safety and comfort needs of the adult population, all such changes should be evaluated to determine their impact on the pediatric population. Little data exists to ensure satisfactory performance of CRS in aircraft crashes. More data from dynamic crash…

Large Omnidirectional Child (LODC) ATD: Round Robin Testing

Principal Investigator: John H. Bolte IV, PhD

In 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a research project to guide the development of a new pediatric ATD that would identify how to maintain the safety of children transitioning between belt-positioning boosters and standard vehicle restraints. The result of the 5-year project is the large omnidirectional child (LODC) ATD. While the LODC has undergone numerous biofidelity tests by Vehicle Research and Test…

Influence of CRS Fit on Far Side Impacts

Principal Investigator: Yun Seok Kang, PhD

Side impacts are the second most frequent type of collision and can cause serious injuries to pediatric occupants. While higher fatality rates have been reported for near-side impacts, serious non-fatal injuries have been reported for far-side impacts as well, where little or no vehicle intrusion was reported. The fit of the CRS, especially problems which produce gaps between the CRS and vehicle seat surfaces, could affect occupant and CRS responses in…

An Analysis of the Interaction between Child Occupants and Deploying Frontal Passenger Air Bag - A Modern Examination

Principal Investigator: Aditya Belwadi, PhD

Historically, much attention has been devoted to the interaction between children and frontal passenger air bags. With the advancement of innovations in airbag design in the last decade, the aggressivity and deployment characteristics of passenger airbags have greatly changed. In addition, seatbelt technology in the front seat has been designed to work in conjunction with the airbag to further help position the occupant and manage the crash energy. This…

Evaluation of Variability in Five-point Harness Tightening Procedures

Principal Investigator: Julie Mansfield, PhD

CRS sled testing efforts depend on the ability of the sled protocol to produce consistent results. Small variations in test benches, seat belt tensions, ATD calibrations, and harness tensions can affect the quality of test results. One important aspect of CRS testing which has not been extensively studied is the method by which the harness is tightened, and the process of verifying that consistent harness tensions are being used across trials. The long…

2016-2017

Emergency Autonomous to Manual Takeover in Driving Simulator: Teens vs. Adult Drivers

Principal Investigator: Helen Loeb, PhD

Semi-autonomous vehicles are emerging, with some in the auto industry targeting 2020 for autonomous cars. A high level of vehicle automation has great potential to improve safety by dramatically cutting the traffic fatality rate. The challenge, however, is to deploy these vehicles safely. While the general expectation is that the self-driving technology will bring us ever closer to the Vision Zero objective of no traffic fatalities, it is imperative to…