Research on the mechanical properties of car seat belts in reference to passenger injury

Three-point seat belts are currently standard equipment in motor vehicles, being the one of the basic security for passive protection of passengers against the effects of a road accident. There is a legal obligation to fasten seat belts for all passengers traveling in a car. Analyzing the technical solutions of safety seat belt systems, one can be observed the increasing degree of technical advance of successively implemented mechatronic systems. Currently, a modern seat belt systems works with a number of sensors and actuators, aimed at the best adjustment of the working conditions of the seat belt to the circumstances of the accident. Despite the technological perfection of seat belt systems, there is a risk of injury to the occupants of a car involved in a road accident. The basic element that protects health and life of occupants in the case of safety seat belts is a tape woven from nylon or polyester fibers. The analysis of the mechanical properties of the car seat belt tape in the conditions of static and dynamic loads allows us to propose a number of interesting conclusions also in the context of bodily injuries in the victims. On the basis of experimental and analytical tests, the energy dissipation of the seat belt tape can be estimated, the characteristics of acceleration variability and many others dependences. Our destination be broad assessment of the seat belt's protective properties.