The Safety Belt estimator under multivariate linear models with inequality constraints

Rollover accidents are one of the most serious injury forms. The harm caused by this type of injury has not been thoroughly studied. Prior research has focused on head and neck injuries and only investigated a 50th-percentile dummy; no one has examined the injuries suffered by women in collisions. In this study, the lumbar injuries of a 50th-percentile dummy without a seatbelt were compared to a dummy 5th in the same circumstance. Additionally, the lumbar injuries of a 5th-percentile dummy without a seatbelt were compared to those of a 5th-percentile dummy wearing one. The results of the study clearly show how important women’s safety is and how seat belts affect collisions. According to women’s physical characteristics, this study aids researchers in enhancing passive vehicle safety. According to the results, all three dummies experienced a high force along the y -axis, indicating a propensity to be thrown during a rollover. According to the study, under the same crash conditions, a 5th-percentile dummy suffered a 4.3% higher lumbar injury than a 50th-percentile dummy. This finding emphasizes how vulnerable females are to lower back injuries in crashes. In the belted condition, Compressive forces increased by 23.2% along the X -axis (0.586 kN → 0.722 kN) and by 72.9% along the Y -axis (0.641 kN → 1.108 kN), while compressive force along the Z -axis showed a slight 5.2% decrease (0.135 kN → 0.128 kN). Tensile forces along the Z -axis also decreased modestly (0.411 kN → 0.398 kN, −3.16%). This increase in force helps to keep the occupant in place, preventing ejection and enhancing safety. Compressive and tensile bending moments decrease by an average of 5%. The submarining analysis revealed no substantial deviation from the baseline results.

Abstract This paper details the development and application of a linear regression model to predict chest deflection in a Hybrid III 50th percentile male crash test dummy during simulated fullfrontal vehicle collisions. Accurate prediction of chest deflection is critical for optimizing restraint system designs and assessing vehicle crashworthiness, given its direct to potential thoracic injuries. The study employed a validated computer-aided engineering (CAE) sled model to simulate a range of crash scenarios within a generic vehicle environment. A parametric investigation systematically varied key loading parameters: impact velocity (16, 22, 25, and 35 mph), airbag characteristics (stiffness, shape, and dual-stage inflator outputs for driver and passenger), and seat belt load limiter settings (2.5, 4.5, and 6.0 kN). A simplified restraint system was utilized to isolate the influence of these parameters. Chest deflection was collected from CAE and chest forces were calculated. The collected data formed the basis for the linear regression model. The developed model quantitatively assessed the relationship between various crash parameters and chest deflection, indicating the relative importance of each. Model predictions demonstrated reasonable agreement with CAE simulation results, confirming its utility for estimating chest deflection under simulated frontal crash conditions. However, the study acknowledges limitations, including the simplified restraint system and a limited set of validation scenarios, suggesting caution when applying results to more advanced systems or extreme conditions. This methodology could be implemented as a design tool earlier in a vehicle program development to decide restraint content that would reduce development time.

Short-term follow-up of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using quadrupled hamstring autograft with suture tape reinforcement as an internal brace.

Orthopedic trauma in pregnancy: A literature review.

Previous studies have reported disparity in injuries between male and female drivers in the risk of certain types of injuries in frontal crashes that may be due to a myriad of sex-related differences, including body size, shape, anatomy, or sitting posture. The objectives of this study are 1) to use mesh-morphing methods to generate a diverse set of human body models (HBMs) representing a wide range of body sizes and shapes for both sexes, 2) conduct population-based frontal crash simulations, and 3) explore adaptive restraint design strategies that may lead to enhanced safety for the whole population while mitigating potential differences in injury risks between male and female drivers. A total of 200 HBMs with a wide range of body sizes and shapes were generated by morphing the THUMS v4.1 midsize male model into geometries predicted by the statistical human geometry models. Ten male and ten female HBMs were selected for population-based simulations. An existing automated simulation framework was leveraged to rapidly set up crash simulations with the morphed HBMs and previously-validated driver compartment and restraint models. A total of 1,000 frontal crash simulations were performed under varied restraint designs and crash severities. A surrogate model was developed based on the simulation data using a Gaussian Process (GP) method. Two design optimization schemes were used to flexibly adjust design parameters based on subject variables to minimize population injury risks while minimizing differences in injury risk between male and female HBMs. The simulations indicated that the joint injury probability (Pjoint) is more sensitive to the seatbelt and driver airbag variables at 35 mph, while the variability is greatly reduced at 25 mph for all design variables. The optimal adaptive design strategy from these models suggested a higher seat belt load limit, higher airbag inflation pressure, smaller airbag venting, and higher steering column force for occupants with higher body mass index (BMI). The adaptive design reduced the population Pjoint by 19.6%, 31.8% and 38.8% from the baseline design when Delta-V equals to 25, 30 and 35 mph, respectively. For high speed crashes (Delta-V = 35 mph), the proposed adaptive design reduced the average Pjoint differences between men and women from 24.02% to 2.84% compared to the baseline design. Surprisingly, a restraint strategy constrained to sex-based balance is able to maintain similar injury risks between male and female drivers. This study is the first to integrate finite element crash simulations with adaptive restraint design optimization to potentially reduce population injury risks and safety balance between male and female occupants. Gaussian process was shown to be an effective surrogate to FE simulations.

<div>At present, commercial air travel rules do not allow people to sit in their own wheelchairs during flight. However, airline seating often does not meet medical needs. In response to current requests to allow this seating option, we researched the crashworthiness and safety of wheelchairs for potential use in aircraft. For motor vehicle travel, many wheelchairs meet voluntary standards for crashworthiness and safety per RESNA WC19. This project assesses whether WC19-compliant wheelchairs can meet FAA aircraft seating standards when secured using 4-point tiedowns. For the FAA horizontal impact testing, computer modeling indicated that a trapezoidal sled pulse was sufficient to represent the more typical triangular pulse, and that due to the flexibility of the tiedown webbing, the effect of the simulated pitch/roll element was minimal. During the initial two horizontal impact tests, fracture of the left front wheelchair caster was observed. The remaining five wheelchairs were tested with an added vehicle-mounted lap belt and were successful at meeting occupant retention and structural integrity requirements. The outcomes show that it may be possible for people to remain seated in a WC19-compliant wheelchair for air travel without a significant decrement in safety.</div>

Condensin plays an essential role in genome folding through its active DNA loop extrusion activity. Condensin contains a binding interface between its Ycg1 HEAT-repeat subunit and the Brn1 kleisin, together forming a "safety-belt" DNA-binding groove. This safety-belt architecture traps DNA inside the structural maintenance of chromosomes complex and prevents its dissociation during loop extrusion. The entrapment of DNA within the binding pocket of the complex is crucial for ATPase activity and loop extrusion. However, the molecular mechanism underlying DNA entrapment remains unclear. Here, we employ a multiscale computational approach to understand how DNA modulates yeast condensin's safety-belt dynamics. Using all-atom simulations combined with AlphaFold3 predictions, we demonstrate that DNA binding stabilizes the Ycg1-Brn1 safety belt. Coarse-grained simulations capture the entire DNA-entrapment process and reveal an active regulatory role for DNA: outside the safety belt, DNA triggers opening, whereas once inside, it promotes closure and stabilizes the complex. Kinetic analyses show that the rate-limiting step in DNA entrapment depends on the tightness of the safety belt. A loose safety belt makes the stable closure of its "latch" and "buckle" components rate-limiting, whereas a tighter safety belt shifts the barrier to initial DNA entry.

Anisotropy in motion sickness susceptibility during longitudinal and lateral motion while seated on a car seat.

This study explores the demographic and behavioral determinants of road traffic accident (RTA) severity in the context of the Dhaka metropolitan area, Bangladesh. Road crash data recorded by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were analyzed through ordered logistic regression and generalized ordered logistic regression. The results were interpreted using log odds ratios, odds ratios, predicted probabilities, and marginal effects. The findings reveal that young and middle-aged drivers exhibit significantly higher odds of severe crashes compared to underage drivers. Young-aged drivers are 14 percentage points more likely to cause fatal crashes when compared to old aged drivers in our ordered logit model. In addition, male drivers show higher odds of severe crashes than females. Factors such as overloading of vehicles, alcohol consumption while driving, and over-speeding were identified as the major contributors to increasing crash severity. Alcohol consumption had an odds ratio of 1.223 in the ordered logit model, and it had odds ratios of 2.418, 1.722, and 1.086 for the thresholds of motor collision, simple injury, and grievous injury, respectively, in the generalized ordered logit model. In contrast, the use of seatbelts, vehicle fitness maintenance, and drivers' licensing shows mitigating effects on crash severity, with significant odds ratios < 1 in both the ordered logit and generalized ordered logit models. From the ordered logit model, we found that seat belt use, fitness certificate, and license decrease the likelihood of fatal crash by 10.7 percentage points, 8.2 percentage points, and 28.2 percentage points, respectively, whereas overspeed increases the likelihood of fatal crash by 13.5 percentage points. The results were reflected in the generalized ordered logit model, too. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers to design and implement effective policies and transport planning, including demographic driving regulations and behavioral control mechanisms to reduce road crash severity.

India ranks first among fatal road traffic accidents (RTAs) and accounts for one-tenth of global RTAs. North Goa district in Goa reported a higher burden of fatal RTAs than the national average. To estimate the burden of fatal RTAs and describe them by human, vehicle, and environmental characteristics. A cross-sectional analysis of four-years (2017-2020) data obtained from the Traffic Authority of Goa was conducted, and the characteristics were classified using the Haddon's Matrix. The mortality rate and case fatality ratio (CFR) were calculated. Overall, 6412 RTAs (487 deaths) were reported in North Goa, with an average mortality rate of 17.7, decreasing from 25.7 (2017) to 15.4 (2020), highest in Pernem subdistrict (23.8). The average mortality rate across four years was higher among individuals aged 25-34 years (22.6) and males (32.5). The overall CFR was 76, with an increase from 76 (2017) to 82 (2020). The highest average CFR was in Pernem subdistrict (150) and on state highways (80). A higher CFR was noted during peak tourism months (82) than during rainy months (63). The highest CFR was found on Sundays (89) and during midnight to early morning hours (87). Among fatalities, 60% were riders, 60% had two-wheeler as the impacting vehicle, 90% involved overspeeding, 30% involved a head-on collision, 50% wore helmet (two-wheelers), and 70% wore seat belts (four-wheelers). Lower mortality but higher case fatality was reported in North Goa in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Various precrash and crash factors influencing fatality among RTAs were identified, which needs evaluation to mitigate fatal RTAs in the district.

Seat Belt Cover for Monitoring the Driver’s Physiological Functions – Laboratory Prototype

Driving safety plays a critical role in minimizing traffic accidents, and seat belt usage is one of the most effective preventive measures. This study aims to implement the YOLOv7 object detection model to automatically detect seat belt usage in four-wheeled vehicles using overhead traffic surveillance images. The proposed method consists of three main stages: dataset preparation, model training, and model evaluation. Dataset preparation includes acquiring video footage from different locations and time conditions, extracting image frames, and annotating four object classes: car, windshield, passenger, and seat belt. The model is trained on a dataset consisting of images taken during both day and night conditions. During training, data augmentation and anchor box optimization are applied to improve model generalization. The trained model is evaluated on an unseen test dataset and achieves a Mean Average Precision at 50% Intersection over Union (mAP50) of 97.46% and an F1 score of 95.37% at the optimal confidence level. These results indicate high detection accuracy for all object classes, especially for the seat belt class with an AP of 93.40%. The proposed system offers a promising solution for real-time traffic enforcement, reducing the reliance on manual observation and potentially improving traffic safety monitoring.

The driver reaction time (DRT) of road drivers not only significantly affects driving stability and performance but also causes traffic congestion and accidents, so its detection is important for traffic safety. In this paper, the effect of driver characteristics and habits (i.e., education, job status, gender, age, experience, health status, and driver habits) on DRT is examined through tests performed in a driving simulator on a randomly selected sample group (49 males and 21 females). Before the tests, 14 different sub-sample groups were created by identifying the characteristics and habits of the drivers based on their own statements through a survey conducted with the sample group. From the DRTs determined for each subsample group, the average DRT and deviation of male and female drivers were calculated separately. The results show that there are significant variations in DRT according to driver characteristics and habits. The DRT of female drivers is approximately 22% higher than that of male drivers. The DRT increases as the driver's age increases. The effect of the driver experience on the DRT is unclear, but the DRT decreases with daily vehicle usage time when considered as an indicator of experience. It was also determined that the DRT becomes shorter as drivers’ educational attainment increases. The DRT is varied by the job status of the drivers; while the unemployed have the highest DRT, public sector employees and students have a significantly lower DRT. In addition, health conditions such as chronic illness, the use of glasses, and fatigue cause a notable increase in DRT. Lifestyle factors such as smoking (negative) and sports activities (positive) affect DRT. While habits such as using mobile phones and CD players/TV while driving negatively affect DRT, seat belt use positively affects DRT.

Introduction: The quality and peaceful education of children with special needs depends on their safe and comfortable transportation to schools. The study is very important in terms of reflecting the problems that children with special needs, who are disadvantaged individuals, are exposed to during their transport to school and presenting solutions to these problems. Method: Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. The research covers the problems related to the use of school minibus by children with special needs and was conducted with 31 participants in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin. The study group was selected from individuals who witnessed the problems experienced in the transportation of children with special needs. The identities of the participants were concealed and coded. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool, and the data were analyzed by content analysis, and themes, sub-themes, and codes were created. Findings: In the study, important findings regarding the shuttle services for children with special needs were obtained, such as anxiety during the journey, problems arising from the vehicles, problems arising from the drivers, problems along the route, and concerns about traffic problems. It was revealed that the most frequently mentioned problem related to the vehicle was the seat belt problem. In addition, participants stated that drivers lack knowledge about individuals with special needs. Discussion: The finding that school shuttle drivers do not have knowledge about special education is quite striking. Drivers who transport individuals with special needs should have knowledge about special education, have good communication skills, be kind and patient, and have a good level of traffic knowledge. The finding that bus attendants use short but unsafe routes is a concern for the effective sustainability of teaching activities for children with special needs.

&amp;lt;p class=&amp;quot;cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;text-align: justify;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Seat belt syndrome (SBS) is a new pattern of injuries in road traffic accidents (RTAs). It refers to injuries caused by the interaction of the human body and the safety belt and consists of a wide spectrum of injuries (musculoskeletal and visceral). &amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none&amp;quot;&amp;gt;In this paper, we present&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; &amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none&amp;quot;&amp;gt;a case of a front-seat passenger with polytrauma sustained in an RTA, who, as a literature rarity, also suffered a thyroid cartilage fracture (TCF) caused by a seat belt. &amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Thyroid cartilage fracture should be kept on the list of possible injuries with a high index of suspicion for this syndrome, based on the mechanism of injury and hyperflexion of the neck, even without signs of direct neck trauma.&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Objective Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of death for children. Risks of driver speeding, distraction, and impairment and protective benefits of following child passenger safety guidelines are well established, as are differences in safety behaviors and crash outcomes for child passengers across racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups. Persistent disparities warrant contemporary exploration of potentially modifiable factors across groups. In this study we examine differences in community transportation safety norms in relation to caregiver-reported risky driving behaviors, restraint use, and child passenger safety guideline adherence across racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data collected in the Tiny Cargo, Big Deal/Abróchame Bien, Cuídame Bien clinical trial (NCT04238247). We examined caregiver-reported agreement with eight statements about community norms for transportation safety (e.g., acceptability of cell phone use and adherence to child passenger safety guidelines) and their self-reported engagement in six risky driving behaviors (e.g., speeding and cell phone distractions), two seat belt use situations, and three child passenger safety behaviors. In complete case chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests analyses, we compared transportation behaviors and community norms across race, ethnicity, and preferred language. We also tested for associations between agreement with community norm statements and caregiver-reported engagement in related transportation safety behaviors using unadjusted logistic regression and logistic regression adjusted for caregiver demographic characteristics and child age. Analyses were conducted in Stata 18.0. Results Complete responses from 474 caregivers of children 6-months to 10-years-old were analyzed. Most participants identified as mothers (93.2%), 64.1% were married, and 60.97% completed a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree. The median caregiver age was 36 years (interquartile range (IQR) 21, 50). One in ten participants preferred Spanish (n = 52) and among caregivers who preferred English, most identified as white (n = 175) or Hispanic/Latine (n = 138). Racial, ethnic, and linguistic group variation was observed for ten of eleven transportation behaviors and six of eight community norms for transportation safety (p < 0.05). Traveling unrestrained was most common among caregivers who preferred Spanish. However, speeding and cell phone use while driving were more common among caregivers who identified as white and preferred English. Several risky transportation behaviors were associated with related community norms (e.g., caregivers who perceived texting while driving as unacceptable in their community had higher odds of reporting never checking their phone while driving and their car was moving) (Adjusted Odds Ratio 3.61, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.18, 5.99, p < 0.001). Conclusions Caregiver reported engagement in risky transportation behaviors varied by race, ethnicity, and preferred language and was associated with community norms. Linguistically and culturally tailored campaigns seeking to modify community norms may be a strategy to reduce risky transportation behaviors among caregivers of young children.

Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in crashes for both adults and children which also plays a major role in saving lives. Now a days, most of the passengers are using dummy seat belt buckle in place of the actual safety belt or just locking seat belts on their back side which leads to failure of vehicle’s seat belt alarm. To avoid this improper seat belt wearing, this paper proposes the Dual factor seatbelt monitoring system. Current mechanism uses dual resistance switch for buckle confirmation and occupant monitoring apparatus system based on passenger. In this system, a two rotary hall effect sensor is mounted near the retractor. Seat belt webbing is connected to a Retractor which will rotate in counterclockwise direction whenever the passenger pulls the webbing out to wear seat belt. Hall effect senor uses a rotating magnet as the measurement source. While using seat belt, retractor will rotate, and the webbing will expand. Hall effect sensor will calculate the number of rotations of the retractor. Sometimes passengers would just lock their seat belts without wearing them. In such cases, this system will find that passengers are using seat belt or not, even though the seat belts are locked. If there is a minimum rotation or else there is no rotation, we can identify that passengers are not using seat belts. Based on the rotation of the retractor, we can identify whether the passenger is genuinely wearing seat belt or not. The advantage of this system over existing system is to avoid air bag deployment when seat belt is not actually fastened, reduce injury to passengers and to avoid improper seat belt wearing without impacting current seat belt system

Objectives Alcohol/drug-related impairment and unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding, running red lights, or failure to wear a seat belt have been identified as contributing factors to road traffic accidents. This study aims to examine antemortem toxicological testing results, driving behaviors and other characteristics of drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes, which may offer insights into the broader spectrum of fatal crash risk factors. Methods Toxicological results and case data including demographic characteristics and driving behaviors were analyzed for drivers charged in fatal traffic crashes and thus potentially culpable between 2019 and 2024. These individuals were compared with drivers involved in fatal collisions who had not been charged. Whether a driver was charged with an accident depended not only on culpability but also on the availability of sufficient evidence, the presence of criminal negligence, legal/procedural considerations, contributory faults, and other contextual factors. All drivers survived the accidents and provided antemortem blood samples, which were submitted by the Houston Police Department (HPD) for alcohol and drug testing to the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC). Results Based on offense classifications in the HFSC database, HPD reports, and court records, 116 drivers were identified as suspects charged in fatal crashes in 2019–2024. Among the charged drivers, 81% were male with an average age of 32 years (range: 17–62), and 97% tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs. Ethanol was the most frequently detected substance (73%), followed by cannabinoids (47%) and cocaine/metabolites (12%). Common unsafe driving behaviors included speeding/failure to control speed (53%), lane deviation (31%), and running red lights/stop signs (20%). In comparison, of 87 uncharged drivers (82% male, average age 40 years) involved in fatal crashes, 61% tested negative for both alcohol and drugs. Among the 39% who tested positive, cannabinoids (17%) and ethanol (9%) were the most frequently detected drugs. The majority (91%) of the charged drivers committed one or more traffic infractions. Failure to control speed/speeding was the most common (53%), followed by failure to drive in a single lane (31%). In contrast, the majority (64%) of the uncharged drivers did not commit a traffic infraction. Conclusions The present research revealed several risk factors of fatal traffic crashes – younger male drivers with high blood alcohol concentrations, drug-impaired drivers who failed to control speed or to drive in a single lane, pedestrians who did not yield the right of way to vehicle, and motorcyclists who sped. Targeting these risk factors could aid in addressing the increasing number of traffic fatalities.

The study, conducted from March to July 2025, seeks to comprehensively analyse seat belt usage by bus occupants in Cameroon. Its objectives include evaluating existing regulations, assessing enforcement strategies, gauging public awareness and attitudes, and determining the impact of seat belt use on road traffic casualties. Ultimately, the research aims to propose novel strategies to enhance seat belt adoption, particularly in public transport vehicles such as buses. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining observational studies conducted across three cities, which yielded 164 bus observations, with a web-based survey involving 320 respondents. The low rate of seat belt compliance among drivers and passengers in Cameroon is attributed to several systemic issues, including widespread bribery and corruption, non-respect of the law by law enforcement officers, ineffective implementation strategies, a lack of public awareness campaigns, lenient road safety policies, and general incompetence. While observational data indicate even lower seat belt usage than self-reported figures from web surveys, passengers expressed disappointment that drivers often fail to remind them to buckle up. Passengers’ complaints regarding dirty seat belts, vehicle overloading, and technical malfunctions underscore the need for systematic cleaning and inspection of seat belts. Our findings suggest that the perception of safety is the primary determinant of seat belt usage in Cameroon, while inadequate enforcement presents the most significant barrier to its widespread adoption. Consequently, informational campaigns, increased vigilance, enforcement by competent authorities, mandatory reminders and zero overloading are highly recommended.