The effect of the unrestrained back seat passenger on the injuries suffered by drivers and front seat passengers in head-on collisions

In head-on collisions, loose items in the rear of the car, such as luggage or unrestrained back seat passengers can cause substantial loading on the back of the front seats. The purpose of this paper is to study if such loading increases the injury severity for the front seat occupants. Data were collected from all fatal automobile accidents for a period of 1 year in Sweden. Information was collected about the survivors as well as the decreased. Head-on collisions were selected, and the injuries of the front seat occupants were scored according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and the Injury Severity Score (ISS). In evaluating the injury severity, the collision energy was taken into account. The results indicate that belted front seat passengers sustain a higher injury risk with an unrestrained passenger in the back seat. These results are valid for collision speeds below 45 km/h.     

摩托车驾乘人员损伤特点的法医学分析

摩托车交通事故在道路交通事故中占有很大的比例。此类交通事故的处理,往往因缺少证人证言和物证而难以确认驾驶员或乘员。本文就摩托车交通事故中的驾驶员和乘员的损伤特点进行研究,旨在探讨鉴别驾、乘人员的方法,以解决事故处理中的疑难问题。1案例资料1999~2001年间广州市247例摩托车交通事故尸体检验报告。本组交通事故中,驾驶员死亡135例,其中男性131例(97%),女性4例(3%);乘员死亡112例,其中男性62例(55.4%),女性50例(44.6%)。碰撞车型包括摩托车与大客车相撞26例,摩托车与大货车相撞90例,摩托车与小客车相撞30例,摩托车与小货车相撞41…     

142例二轮摩托车驾乘人员损伤特征分析

目的分析二轮摩托车交通事故的现场特点和驾乘人员的损伤特征,为甄别摩托车驾乘人员提供信息。方法收集本区2005年至2014年142例二轮摩托车交通事故人员伤亡资料,包括事故经过、事故类型、现场特点、车辆特点、驾乘人员情况、损伤情况及死亡原因等相关资料,进行分析总结。结果二轮摩托车驾乘人员在各类型事故中的损伤部位和特征、出现率及严重程度有明显的区别,事故现场有规律性。结论通过现场与人体损伤特征的分析,可以甄别摩托车驾乘人员。     

Comparison of injuries sustained by drivers and pillion passengers in fatal head-on motorcycle collision accidents

This study aimed to compare injuries sustained by motorcycle drivers with those sustained by pillion passengers in fatal head-on motorcycle collision accidents. We examined 84 cases of fatal head-on motorcycle collision accidents, causing 79 deaths of drivers and 19 deaths of pillion passengers, using medical and medico-legal examination records. The distribution of superficial injuries, characteristic injuries, injury severity as well as fatal causes was evaluated and compared using χ(2) tests. The results revealed a significant difference in the distribution of superficial injuries between drivers and passengers. The proportions of injuries in the hand and perineum regions were significantly higher in drivers than passengers. Some characteristic superficial injuries on the palms, chest, abdomen as well as the perineum areas were observed in drivers, while none of these characteristic injuries were observed in pillion passengers. Drivers were found to have suffered more severe chest and abdomen injuries than passengers. In addition, there was a higher incidence of fatalities involving run-over injuries for drivers compared with pillion passengers. The proportion of fatal injuries related to tumbling was higher for passengers than for drivers. Overall, our results revealed a difference in injury severity, superficial injury distribution and characteristic injuries between drivers and passengers. Few characteristic injuries were found in pillion passengers. These findings could help to guide medico-legal examinations, particularly in identifying drivers among victims involved in traffic accidents.     

The significance of fibres found on car seats

The front seats of 108 vehicles were examined for the presence of two types of commonly occurring fibres, the so-called “target” fibres. A total of 8436 fibres was removed from the seats for comparison using standard methods. The maximum number of matching fibres found on any one seat was 13; and in any one vehicle, 20. In only two vehicles were sufficiently large enough numbers of fibres present to suggest primary transfer of fibres to the seats, the probable source garments for these fibres being found in both cases. In only one vehicle were matches found to both types of target fibre. No matching fibres were recovered from vinyl-covered seats. These results indicate that when large numbers of more than one type or colour of matching fibres are found on a car seat, the evidence for contact appears to be highly significant.     

1110例汽车驾驶员及乘员交通伤特点分析

目的比较道路交通事故中汽车驾驶员及乘员的损伤特点,为汽车安全设计及事故预防提供参考。方法选择2006～2009年受理的交通伤害案件中373例汽车驾驶员及737例汽车乘员的伤残评定资料进行回顾性分析,对损伤部位的分布,多发伤的数量以及伤残等级进行比较。结果驾驶员损伤部位明显较乘员多,肢体、胸腹损伤发生率明显较乘员高,脊柱损伤的发生率明显较乘员低;驾驶员身体左侧受伤的几率较右侧高,而乘员左右损伤差异不显著;两类人员损伤所致伤残等级腹部、盆部分布显著不同,而其他部位无显著差异,但胸部、脊柱部位高等级伤残构成比乘员略多于驾驶员。结论汽车驾驶员与乘员损伤部位、数量及部分部位的损伤致残程度有差异,值得汽车安全设计及交通管理部门参考。     

Fibres used in the construction of car seats — An assessment of evidential value

The evidential significance of car seat fibres has been investigated. Thirty six samples of car seat fabric were examined and the fibres catalogued according to their morphology and characteristics. The majority of car seat fibres were black or grey thick polyester fibres that were either dyed or pigmented. The MSP spectra produced were unlike those usually obtained from black or grey polyester fibres used in clothing. Tapings taken from car seats were examined for car seat fibres, various types were found showing that these fibres are expected to shed from the fabric albeit in low numbers, unless the vehicle is older. No fibres that matched the samples of the car seat fabric were found on the tapings of the car seats. One hundred garments were examined for car seat fibres, 10% of garments had populations of such fibres present and 41% had at least one car seat fibre present. None of these fibres matched the samples of the car seat fabric or those from the car seat tapings.     

Mechanisms of aortic blunt rupture in fatally injured front-seat passengers in frontal car collisions: an autopsy study

We tried to explain the mechanisms of the aortic blunt ruptures in fatally injured drivers and front passengers, unrestrained by seatbelts, by analyzing the frequencies of both aortic ruptures and concomitant injuries to 12 organs and body regions. The sample consisted of 393 subjects: 251 drivers and 142 front passengers (325 male and 68 female passengers, the mean age 41.0 +/- 15.5). The total number of the complete blunt aortic ruptures in the sample was 116 (80 in the drivers and 36 in the front passengers). The weakest part of the aorta seems to be the isthmus (47 isthmus ruptures in the drivers and 27 in the front passengers). The statistically significant concomitant injured organs and body regions with the aortic ruptures were the liver, the sternum, and the diaphragm in the car drivers and the head and the neck in the front passengers. According to these results, the mechanisms of thoracic aorta rupture are different for fatally injured drivers and front passengers. For car drivers, they are associated and simultaneous with both thoracic and abdominal compression due to deceleration of the body at the moment when the driver's body slides forward and flexes across and against the steering wheel. For the front passengers, the mechanism is the caudorostral hyperextension of the thoracic aorta at the moment when the body is stopped by a dashboard, but the head continues forward with great velocity: the carotid vessels pull the aortic arch forward at the same time as the intercostal arteries fix the thoracic part of the aorta and pull it downwards.     

美国邮轮旅客保护立法动态研究

美国是目前邮轮旅游立法比较完善的国家,其通过《邮轮安全与安保法》《国际邮轮旅客权利法案》等法律规制邮轮承运人,保障邮轮旅客的合法权益.2013年以来,美国相继制定《邮轮旅客保护法》及《邮轮旅客信任法案》等提案,对于邮轮旅客的权利保护作出了更为详尽和细致的规定.中国未来邮轮立法可从旅游、船舶建造技术、行政监管和邮轮旅游合同当事人权责方面借鉴美国邮轮法律制度.     

On the drivers of the fertility rebound

Economic Change and Restructuring - This paper investigates empirically the fertility rebound in low- and high-income OECD countries for the period 1970 to 2016. The focus is on the turning points...     

The transfer and persistence of petrol on car carpets

The significance of the presence of petrol in motor vehicle fires has often been challenged due to the possibility of a natural occurrence of petrol residues inside the vehicle. Transfer and persistence studies were undertaken to investigate the potential transfer and persistence of petrol onto vehicle carpets through the 'normal' usage of motor vehicles. The results of the transfer study indicate that petrol may be transferred from the external environment in sufficient quantities via the shoes of drivers or passengers to be detected after a 24 h period, but not after 1 week. Low levels of petrol were detectable after 24 h on all carpet mats where the initial volume was 500 microL or more. The level of evaporation of the petrol detected increased with corresponding increases in the time period between transfer and analysis. The results of the persistence study indicate that small volumes of petrol (less than 100 microL) are unlikely to be detected on carpet after a 24 h period, and volumes of less than 1000 microL are unlikely to be detected on acoustic padding after this time period. Larger volumes may be detected after this period, but will generally not be detectable on either carpet or acoustic padding after 4 weeks. In each case, the petrol that is detected exhibits a chromatographic profile of greater than 60% evaporated petrol. These results demonstrate the significance of finding a large volume of fresh or slightly evaporated petrol on car carpet.     

Drugs and chronic alcohol abuse in drivers

Blood specimens from 210 drivers (179 male and 31 female) apprehended in Luxembourg from autumn 2001 to spring 2002 and requested for the determination of their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) were tested for medicinal drugs, illicit drugs, and chronic alcohol abuse (by quantification of the carbohydrate-deficient transferrin: CDT). These additional analyses were performed anonymously and with permission of state prosecutor. The 22.8% had consumed medicinal drugs, with benzodiazepines and antidepressants (10.9 and 7.6%, respectively) as main psychoactive classes. Cannabis was the most detected illicit drug (9.5%) but only one in three had THC detectable in their blood. Association of two or more psychoactive substances (poly-drug use) was observed in 27.6% of drivers (90.6% of drug consumers). On the basis of CDT values, 29.5% of drivers investigated were assumed to be chronic alcohol abusers. Statistical analysis revealed that chronic alcohol abuse and medicinal psychoactive drugs were associated with significantly higher BAC. Medicinal psychoactive drugs were clearly associated with poly-drug use, and were furthermore detected at supra-therapeutic levels in 34.9%.     

盲摸器开启轿车用弹片锁形成痕迹的研究

目的研究盲摸器开启轿车用弹片锁形成的痕迹。方法解剖盲摸器开启的弹片锁后,观察比对弹片上痕迹位置和形态。结果4s店购买的锁具较小商品市场购买的锁具不易形成痕迹;经验丰富的开锁人员较经验少的开锁人员不易形成痕迹;盲摸器二较盲摸器一不易形成痕迹。结论盲摸器开启汽车锁形成的痕迹与锁具材质、开锁人员及工具形态有关。