Accident Analysis and Prevention 37 (2005) 801–806 Low speed vehicle passenger ejection restraint effectiveness Kristopher J. Seluga ∗ , Irving U. Ojalvo, Richard M. Obert TechnologyAssociates,1011HighRidgeRd.,Stamford,CT06905,USA Received 14 February 2005; accepted 31 March 2005 Abstract Current golf carts and LSV’s (Low Speed Vehicles) produce a significant number of passenger ejections during sharp turns. These LSV’s do not typically possess seatbelts, but do provide outboard bench seat hip restraints that also serve as handholds. However, many current restraint designs appear incapable of preventing passenger ejections due to their low height and inefficient handhold position. Alternative handhold and hip restraint designs may improve passenger safety. Accordingly, this paper examines minimum size requirements for hip restraints to prevent passenger ejection during sharp turns and evaluates the effectiveness of a handhold mounted at the center of the bench seat. In this study, a simulation of a turning cart supplies the dynamic input to a biomechanical model of an adult male seated in a golf cart. Various restraint combinations are considered, both with and without the central handhold, to determine the likelihood of passenger ejection. It is shown that only the largest restraint geometries prevent passenger ejection. Adequate hip restraints should be much larger than current designs and a central handhold should be provided. In this way, golf cart and LSV manufacturers could reduce passenger ejections and improve fleet safety by incorporating recommendations provided herein. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Golf cart; Low speed vehicle; Occupant restraint; Passenger ejection; Biomechanics 1. Introduction 1.1. Problem The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) esti- mates that there were approximately 10,000 golf cart-related injuries requiring emergency room treatment in the United States each year from 2000 to 2002 (CPSC, 2004). In 2002, an estimated 1485 (14%) of these accidents involved a head injury (CPSC, 2004). In addition to traditional golf carts that are driven on golf courses, resort and retirement communi- ties in the United States have, over the past decade, experi- mented with allowing Low Speed Vehicles (LSV’s), similar to golf carts, on streets as primary means of local transporta- tion (IIHS, 2003; Passaro et al., 1996). In response to this trend, the federal government has implemented requirements for safety equipment on LSV’s that operate on public roads ∗ Corresponding author. E-mailaddress: kseluga@technology-assoc.com (K.J. Seluga). including mandatory seatbelts for all passengers (IIHS, 2003; DOT, 2001) 1 . Passenger ejection is a significant mode of injury in golf cart and LSV accidents that can lead to serious injuries, especially of the head. This paper explores whether these ejections could be easily avoided by simple countermea- sures. Based on detailed CPSC case narratives from 2002 to 2003, roughly 35% of golf cart accidents involve a per- son falling out of the cart (CPSC, 2004). One common sce- nario for a passenger ejection accident occurs when a cart, traveling near its maximum speed, is turned sharply to the left. CPSC data from 2002 to 2003 reveals at least nine accident narratives that match this scenario closely, which projects to roughly 183 accidents per year (CPSC, 2004). Many more of the “fall from cart” type accidents may also involve ejection during a sharp turn, but the accident nar- 1 For the purpose of these requirements, LSV’s are defined as vehicle having a top speed between 32 and 40 kph (20 and 25 mph) (DOT, 2001). Vehicles with top speeds below 32 kph (20 mph) or those that do not operate on public roads remain unregulated with respect to these safety features. 0001-4575/$ – see front matter © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2005.03.022