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).

2014-2015

Dynamic Comparison of Large Omni-directional Child ATD to Pediatric Volunteers: Principal Investigator: Thomas Seacrist, MBE

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injury for children worldwide. Mitigation of these injuries requires the use of biofidelic anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) to properly design and evaluate motor vehicle safety systems. Traditionally, pediatric ATDs have been benchmarked against response corridors that have been scaled from adult biomechanical data, and often these scaling efforts were hindered by a lack of appropriate…

2013-2014

Dynamic Comparison of Pediatric and the Small Female ATDs to Size-matched Pediatric Volunteers (Multiple Year Project)

Principal Investigator: Thomas Seacrist, MBE

The goal of this research is to quantify the dynamic differences between pediatric and 5th percentile female ATDs and matched pediatric volunteers in low-speed lateral and oblique crashes and apply that knowledge towards improved ATD biofidelity requirements. Through synthesis of existing data and collection of new data, this project builds on several previous and current projects at the Center.

Comparison of Q3s ATD Biomechanical Responses to Pediatric Volunteers

Principal Investigator: Yun Seok Kang, PhD

The long-term goal of this study is to assess the biofidelity of the Q3s, a dummy developed specifically for lateral side impact testing in children, using existing human volunteer data such that safety tools for children can be designed and evaluated by using the biofidelic child ATD. This goal includes evaluation of the difference between the Q3s and the Hybrid III 3 year old ATD by comparison of kinematics and kinetics of the Q3s with those of the…

Anthropometry Update: Is the 6-year old ATD Representative of Age-matched Children?

Principal Investigator: Amanda Agnew, PhD

This study investigates whether the quality of anthropometric data, as it pertains vehicle safety, will improve when direct methods are used to collect it, and whether current ATDs can be improved with CRS-specific anthropometric data bases. The objective of this project is to determine whether currently-accepted anthropometric data, upon which pediatric ATDs are designed, are an accurate representation of children ages 4-7 years sitting in booster seats…

Exploration of the Effect of Positive Reinforcement on Teen Driving Behavior(2013-2014)

Principal Investigator: Yi-Ching Lee, PhD

Principal Investigator: Yi-Ching Lee, PhD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

An Assessment of Injury for Pediatric Motor Vehicle Occupants with Premature or Delayed Graduation from Forward-facing to Booster Restraint

Principal Investigator: Caitlin Locey, BS

The broad long-term goal of this research is to assess whether forward-facing harness-based child restraints provide a greater protective benefit than belt-positioning boosters for children of similar age or size in motor vehicle crashes. A secondary goal is to identify patterns of injury and injury causation scenarios for this population.

Child Restraint System Misuse in the Field and in Full-Vehicle Crash Tests (Multiple Year Project)

Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The objectives of this research are to: (1) convert from paper to digital format and analyze the field misuse data from the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) checkpoints, to further clarify behavior in the modern CRS consumer beyond what has been currently established, and (2) explain the performance of properly used and misused CRS in full-scale vehicle crashes, adding valuable data to previously published studies using sled…

Comparing FMVSS 213 Sled Test to the Full-scale Vehicle Crash Environment (Multiple Year Project)

Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The long-term goal of this study is to determine the effect of geometric and material modifications to the FMVSS 213 bench on the ability of the bench, used in regulatory sled testing, to replicate a real vehicle seat in a crash.

Child Restraint System Misuse in the Field and in Full-Vehicle Crash Tests (Multiple Year Project)

Principal Investigator: Mark R. Zonfrillo, MD, MSCE

Motor Vehicle Crash-related Injury Causation Scenarios for Disabling Injuries in Children

Principal Investigator: Mark R. Zonfrillo, MD, MSCE

In the United States, injury is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In children, long term disability from trauma is far more common than death. Spinal cord injuries, either alone or in combination with other injuries, result in the most physical disability in children. The goal of the proposed line of research is to mitigate disabling crash-related spinal injuries in children by investigating the injury causation scenarios for…

Linking Adolescents’ Medical and Traffic Data: Creation of a Unique Database

Principal Investigator: Allison Curry, PhD

This study’s long-term goal is to create a unique longitudinal database of adolescents’ medical information and their traffic outcomes as drivers, and utilize this database to investigate driving outcomes for adolescents with relevant medical conditions (e.g., developmental disabilities).

2012-2013

Dynamic Comparison of Pediatric and the Small Female ATDs to Size-matched Pediatric Volunteers (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Thomas Seacrist, MBE

The goal of this research is to quantify the dynamic differences between pediatric and 5th percentile female ATDs and matched pediatric volunteers in low-speed lateral and oblique crashes and apply that knowledge towards improved ATD biofidelity requirements. Through synthesis of existing data and collection of new data, this project builds on several previous and current projects at the Center.
Child Restraint System Misuse in the Field and in Full-Vehicle Crash Tests (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The objectives of this research are to: (1) convert from paper to digital format and analyze the field misuse data from the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) checkpoints, to further clarify behavior in the modern CRS consumer beyond what has been currently established, and (2) explain the performance of properly used and misused CRS in full-scale vehicle crashes, adding valuable data to previously published studies using sled…
Child Restraint System Misuse in the Field and in Full-Vehicle Crash Tests (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Mark R. Zonfrillo, MD, MSCE

The objectives of this research are to: (1) convert from paper to digital format and analyze the field misuse data from the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) checkpoints, to further clarify behavior in the modern CRS consumer beyond what has been currently established, and (2) explain the performance of properly used and misused CRS in full-scale vehicle crashes, adding valuable data to previously published studies using…
Serious Teen Crashes: Identification of the Most Common Scenarios and Factors: Principal Investigator: Allison Curry, PhD

The long-term research goal of the project is to continue to build scientific foundation for interventions and evaluations that reduce teen driver crash and fatality risk by gaining a more comprehensive understanding of teen crashes, and exploring similarities and differences of teen vs. adult crash scenarios.
Serious Teen Crashes: Identification of the Most Common Scenarios and Factors: Principal Investigator: Catherine McDonald, PhD

The long-term research goal of the project is to continue to build scientific foundation for interventions and evaluations that reduce teen driver crash and fatality risk by gaining a more comprehensive understanding of teen crashes, and exploring similarities and differences of teen vs. adult crash scenarios.
Quantifying CRS Fit in the Vehicle Seat Environment: Dimensional Comparison Approach: Principal Investigator: Amanda Agnew, PhD

The research goals of this study are to quantitatively define good fit of a child restraint system to a vehicle, to develop a correlation matrix to characterize good fit between various child restraint systems and vehicle seats; and to quantify any changes to child restraint system characteristics that influence good fit over time.
Quantifying CRS Fit in the Vehicle Seat Environment: Dimensional Comparison Approach: Principal Investigator: Julie Mansfield, PhD

The research goals of this study are to quantitatively define good fit of a child restraint system to a vehicle, to develop a correlation matrix to characterize good fit between various child restraint systems and vehicle seats; and to quantify any changes to child restraint system characteristics that influence good fit over time.

2011-2012

Comparing FMVSS 213 Sled Test to the Full-scale Vehicle Crash Environment (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The long-term goal of this study is to determine the effect of geometric and material modifications to the FMVSS 213 bench on the ability of the bench, used in regulatory sled testing, to replicate a real vehicle seat in a crash.

2010-2011

Comparing FMVSS 213 Sled Test to the Full-scale Vehicle Crash Environment (Multiple Year Project): Principal Investigator: Matthew R. Maltese, PhD

The long-term goal of this study is to determine the effect of geometric and material modifications to the FMVSS 213 bench on the ability of the bench, used in regulatory sled testing, to replicate a real vehicle seat in a crash.