A recent article in the New York Times covers an incident of a stretch limousine crash that resulted in the death of four people. What the article really discusses though is the lack of safety features in stretch limos.
A stretch limo is created by taking an ordinary car cutting it in half, and placing plates to extend the roof and floor. What’s missing is the normal “structural cage” of the car, or the pillars running from the ceiling and flooring, which protect passengers. Then the seats are reconfigured in stretch limos. This changes the outcome of side-impact crash.
The pickup truck that struck the limo mentioned above, hit the limo broadside. According to an engineer with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety this couldn’t have been a worse place to hit a limo. “It hit the most vulnerable spot.” At the spot hit there is no structure, according to the engineer.
The
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After the car has been bought, “the new owner can modify it into a stretch limo without having to show that it is crashworthy.”
Seat Belt Regulations
Additionally, stretch limos are exempted from federal seat belt regulations because of their banquette seating, not forward facing, according to safety experts. For more read an op-ed from the New York Times on the dangers of partying in a stretch limo.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed that large motor coaches be equipped with seatbelts for passengers. However, I was unable to find anything regarding proposals for seatbelts for limos. Why is it that when limos are modified and motor coaches are not? The reason the NHTSA recommends seatbelts for motor coaches is that they reduce the risk of ejection, and about 78% of the fatalities in motor coach rollover crashes are the result of being ejected from the vehicle. Well, ejection can happen in a stretch limo as well.
What’s to be
Risk for trauma related to misuse of seat restraints and physical proximity to vehicle pathways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “in 2015, seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives” (1). The NHTSA goes on to say that almost 30 million Americans still don’t use seat belts on a daily basis. Since vehicle accidents are among the leading causes of death in the United States and even the world, the argument to improve seat belt technology has increased dramatically. Researchers are often more concerned with whether or not people are wearing their seat belts, not the effectiveness of them, until now, although both are incredibly important. Seat belt safety, which is directly related to seat belt technology, has been shown to be increasingly ineffective because of the high severity
When a car crash occurs, the goal is for the structure to crush in a relatively gradual, predictable way that absorbs much of the impact energy, keeping it away from the occupants in what is termed a “controlled crush.”
Seat belts worn correctly can reduce the chances of death in a collision by 47% and the chances of serious injury by 52% (Stewart et al., 1997). All new vehicles sold in Canada today are equipped with three-point seat belts in all positions. Many vehicles are also equipped with seat belt pretensioners,
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), USA estimates more than 28,000 people survived vehicle crashes and are still alive due to the presence of frontal airbags in their vehicles as of 1 January 2009. This data has been accrued over time from crashes and fatalities on America’s highways and side streets. This paper will examine these statistics and compare information with this data.
Seatbelts contain two main parts, a lap belt and a shoulder belt and are secured to the frame of the car. They have been proven to reduce and prevent injury in the event of a car accident by keeping the passenger in their seat. In addition, seatbelts can extend and retract however, in the likelihood of a collision, the belt tightens up to hold the passenger in place so that they do not go through the windshield when the car goes to a sudden stop.
Studies indicate that manufacturers of commercial passenger vehicles such as motorcoaches and school buses are not doing enough to keep those inside safe in a crash, according to the NTSB. The agency calls for better vehicle body designs that allow passengers to safely evacuate after a crash, and improved restraint systems. Instruction in the appropriate use of seatbelts and evacuation procedures should be a part of each trip, as
On the other hand, none of the damage reach to the passenger compartment, the crumple zone did its job
Prevent ejection-Passenger vehicles are designed to keep people inside the vehicle where they can be protected. People thrown from a vehicle are four times more likely to be killed than those who stayed inside. One of the most common myths about safety belt use is that you are better off being “thrown clear” of a crash. Statistics prove otherwise. Contact the body at the strongest parts of its structure: For an older child or adult, these parts are the hips and shoulders. For an infant and young children, there is really no part strong enough, so the child restraint supports the entire body to avoid stress on any one part.
Numerous firefighters are killed every year while responding to incidents when they did not use a seat belt. Fire departments must foster a culture of staying seated and bulking seat belts any time an emergency vehicle is in motion (Ford,
If there was something that would reduce fatal injuries in the front seat of a car by 45%, why wouldn’t people use it? Prevention from death and wounds is arguably the main reason why wearing a seatbelt is crucial; wearing one can lower injury odds. Ejection from a vehicle may occur in a car crash and could possibly terminate life forever if occupants are not buckled down. Being locked down in a car seat during an immense wreck could be the determining factor in life or death. Most people would claim that wearing a seatbelt surely cannot save money, but seatbelts are almost always guaranteed to reduce injuries, to reduce hospital bills, and to reduce damage costs, therefore saving money in a wreck. Many people would
You would be amazed at the amount of regulations that go into an automobile, but even more surprising would be the amount of regulations that the seat you sit in must pass to make sure that the driver and passengers are safe and comfortable. Out of all the pieces in the interior of your car, the seats have the most regulations. This is really not so surprising if you think of the amount of time and money that car companies spend on making people safe. Whether it be adults or children, safety is the number one concern. And since child safety has been at the forefront of the manufacturers focus – as well as a few news stories every week – we will concern ourselves with one specific regulation that is essential: The Child Restraint Anchorage System.
Unsecured objects inside a vehicle can become a flying projectile during an accident, and can cause serious injury due to crash forces.
According to the CDC, a total of 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants died in motor vehicle traffic crashes and 2.5 million passengers were treated for injuries in 2015 (Motor Vehicle Safety np). More than half of the 22,441 occupants were unrestrained, or not held in place by a seat belt. People that do not wear a seat belt, are 30 times more effective being ejected from the vehicle at the time of the crash and 3 out of 4 people who are ejected during a fatal crash die from their injuries (Motor Vehicle Safety np). Ejection from a vehicle will not stop you from flying across the highway, because inertia and gravity will keep moving your body forward. What is the cause for us not wearing our seat belts? According to the NHTSA, people get in a hurry, distraction, or simply forgetting is the main cause for not wearing our seat
Seat belts although they are the most effective safety device on cars must be made safer. Out of all people who died in car accidents, 63% of those were not wearing seat belts (seatbelts). This goes to show you the effectiveness of seat belt. Therefore automotive manufactures must mandate the installation of 5-point seatbelt on all cars. In all major race car organization such as NASCAR (National Association Stock Car Automotive Racing) they require these 5-point seat belt. Which is nothing more than a seatbelt that is buckled in 5 spots rather that the conventional 3.