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A SERIES OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN AN OCCUPANT AND THE INTERIOR OF A VEHICLE IS PRESENTED. THE FOLLOWING PARAMETER STUDIES USING AN EIGHT-MASS, TWO-DIMENSIONAL MODEL ARE DISCUSSED; BELT MATERIAL PROPERTIES, BELT SLACK, BELT GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION, AND COMPARISON OF SEATS WITH AND WITHOUT HEADRESTS IN REAR IMPACT. IN ADDITION, IT IS DEMONSTRATED BY EXAMPLE THAT SIMPLE MATHEMATICAL MODELS CAN PERFORM A VALUABLE SERVICE IN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL WORK AS WELL AS YIELDING SHORT TERM RESULTS. FINALLY, THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELS ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS SHOWN THAT A THREE-MASS, THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL IS A LOGICAL EXTENSION OF CURRENT SIMULATION EFFORTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO OCCUPANT RESPONSE IN OBLIQUE AND LATERAL IMPACT AS WELL AS NONSYMMETRIC RESTRAINT SYSTEM. /AUTHOR/

One of the primary difficulties in providing adequate simulation of human response during a crash has been the lack of data describing human response under similar circumstances. Because of the medical care problems which may arise from volunteer tests, the bulk of the testing has been performed under the sponsorship of governmental agencies who can provide a proper medical staffing and hospital care facilities should they become necessary.