Usability issues concerning child restraint system harness design |
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Authors: | Rudin-Brown Christina M Kumagai Jason K Angel Harry A Iwasa-Madge Kim M Noy Y Ian |
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Affiliation: | Ergonomics Division, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate, Transport Canada, 330 Sparks Street, 8th Floor, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1A 0N5. brownc@tc.gc.ca |
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Abstract: | A study was conducted to assess usability issues relating to child restraint system (CRS) harness design. Four convertible child restraint systems representing a wide variety of design features were used. Forty-two participants installed two child test dummies in both forward- and rear-facing configurations either inside or outside a test vehicle. Observer-scored checklists determined the degree to which each harness was installed correctly. Participant-scored questionnaires evaluated the 'ease-of-use' of various design features. While the percentage of correct installations exceeded 83% for all designs when installed in the forward-facing configuration, in the rear-facing position (that intended for children under 9-10 kg), there was a significant (between 65 and 89%) percentage of incorrect installations for all models. This finding is of particular interest and may be indicative of a more generalized problem with 'convertible' CRS designs when they are used in the rear-facing configuration. Furthermore, while certain design features were perceived by users as providing significantly better protection in the event of a collision, these also tended to be the features that were misused most often. The benefits and costs of various design features are discussed, and a method to test harness design usability is presented. |
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Keywords: | Occupant protection Road safety Injury prevention Infants CRS |
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