Ambulance vehicles are a unique passenger environment with complex crashworthiness and occupant protection issues, eg. occupants in various orientations, unique human factors aspects and an array of aftermarket interior modifications. In the USA, ambulance vehicle occupant protection, crashworthiness and safety testing lags 30 years behind current general automotive safety technology. This pape...

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE Rural households report high fire-related mortality and injury rates, but few studies have examined the risk factors for fires. This study aims to identify occupant and household characteristics that are associated with residential fires in a rural cohort. METHODS Of 1,005 households contacted in a single rural county, 691 (68.8%) agreed to participate. One household with ...

A mathematical model of a vehicle dynamic system capable of predicting ride comfort can be a useful tool for vehicle design and development engineers at the concept design stage. The aim of this study was to develop a simple mathematical model of a vehicle with seat and occupant to investigate how vehicle dynamic parameters affect the vibration transmission and ride quality. A 13 degrees-offree...

The data contained here were obtained from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration׳s National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) for the years 2008-2014. This publically available data set monitors motor vehicle crashes in the United States, using a stratified random sample frame, resulting in information on approximately 5000 crashes each year...

Modern vehicle designs tested as part of US consumer information programs achieve high ratings for frontal crash protection. Research is needed to determine how these tests can be upgraded to further improve occupant protection in real-world frontal crashes. The present study is a detailed analysis of real-world cases with serious injuries resulting from frontal crashes of vehicles rated good f...

Plug load energy consumption represents up to 40% of the total energy consumption in efficient buildings. Occupant behavior has a huge impact on plug load energy consumption. Studies have shown that up to 40% plug load energy savings can be achieved through users’ engagement in sustainable behaviors. To save energy from plug loads, either a company can replace their appliances with more efficie...

We undertook a study to determine if the automatic detection and counting of vehicle occupants is feasible. An automated vehicle occupant counting system would greatly facilitate the operation of freeway lanes reserved for buses, car-pools, and emergency vehicles (HOV lanes). In the present paper, we report our findings regarding the appropriate sensor phenomenology and arrangement for the task...

The purpose of this paper is to present the crash exposure patterns of pregnant occupants and to evaluate the effectiveness of restraint systems, including four-point seatbelts, in far side crashes. The NASS CDS database revealed that 53.0 % of pregnant occupants are exposed to frontal crashes while 13.5 % are exposed to far side impacts. Given that far side crashes were the second leading cras...

Objective: To assess the relationship between the implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and pediatric unintentional injury rates. Setting: Shelby County, Tennessee. Design: Retrospective observational analysis. Patients: County residents nine years of age or younger presenting to the children’s medical center, its emergency department, or its outpatient clinics from 1990–97. Intervention: Imp...

There is increasing literature demonstrating the link between building indoor environmental quality, and occupant health and productivity, driving the corporate real estate industry to investigate how to integrate wellness features in both new and existing building stock. Meanwhile, new voluntary standards to promote occupant health are becoming adopted alongside sustainability standards. As co...