JP Research has a long involvement in occupant restraint system research, from airbag effectiveness (driver, passenger, side curtain, and depowered) to seatbelt performance studies (rear and front seat, child safety seat, and lap vs. lap/shoulder belt).

Occupant Restraint Systems

JP Research has a long history of studies involving occupant restraint systems, from front/rear seatbelts to airbags. Several recent projects are highlighted here.

Center Rear Seat Systems

For a 2006 study, the injury experience of center rear seat occupants in lap belts (particularly as opposed to outboard rear seat occupants in lap/shoulder belts) was examined. The statistical study undertook to quantify the effectiveness of rear center lap belts versus rear outboard lap/shoulder belts in frontal and side-impact non-rollover crashes.

Results were published in “Kid in the Middle: A Discussion of Effectiveness of Center Rear-Seat Restraint Systems,” 50th Annual AAAM Conference Proceedings.

ESC System Effectiveness Study

Field data was used to evaluate the effectiveness of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems in reducing fatal crashes and compare results with those obtained by NHTSA in a similar study. Key results are reported in “Field Performance Study of Electronic Stability Control System Effectiveness in US Fatal Crashes,” presented at the 2007 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact.