INVESTIGATION OF THE SAFETY AND STRUCTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF SEAT BELTS ON TRANSIT BUSES

While there is an overwhelming evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of passenger injuries in accidents involving automobiles, very little, if any, is known on the possible safety implications of seat belts in transit buses. The objecyive of this work was to assess the possible safety implications of seat belt usage in transit buses relative to reductions of severity of injury resulting from traffic accidents, and to determine if major changes in the structural elements of the bus frame may be warranted to enable the frame to withstand the instantaneous stress build-up resulting from sudden activation of seat belts. The report includes a thorough review of the state of the art on various aspects of seat belts, including legislation, effectiveness, compliance and enforcement. The results of two comprehensive surveys among major transit operators and bus manufacturers are presented. The development of a computer-based finite element model to study the structural implications of seat belt installation is discussed, along with conclusions from its application.