The Reduction of Collision Injuries: Past, Present, and Future

THIS PAPER REPRESENTS A DISTILLATION AND ANALYSIS OF COLLISION INJURY CASES COLLECTED BY THE UCLA TRAUMA RESEARCH GROUP FROM 1960-69. INJURIES ARE INTERPRETED WITH RELATION TO SPECIFIC VARIABLES WHICH ARE THOUGHT TO REPRESENT IMPORTANT FACTORS IN COLLISION INJURY CAUSATION AND PREVENTION. THE METHODOLOGY IS PRESENTED AS ONE POSSIBLE WAY TO VIEW TRANSPORTATION TRAUMA IN TERMS OF FACTORS WHICH CAN BE ISOLATED AND MAY LEND THEMSELVES TO MANIPULATION IN THE CAUSE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY. THE PAPER CONCENTRATES ON SURVIVABLE INJURIES, IN PART BECAUSE MEASUREMENT OF DEATH ALONE FAILS TO INDICATE DEGREES OF INJURY SEVERITY, AND ALSO BECAUSE DEATH RATES HAVE PROVEN TO BE INSENSITIVE TO MAJOR CHANGES IN INJURY CAUSATION. THE SECOND PART OF THIS PAPER ATTEMPTS TO RELATE INJURY RATES TO ANATOMIC DISTRIBUTION, SPECIFIC AREAS OF VEHICLE DESIGN, AND DISTRIBUTION OF INJURY SEVERITIES FOR SELECTION GROUPS OF SEAT LOCATIONS. /AUTHOR/