Seat Belt Fit and Comfort for Older Adult Front Seat Passengers in Cars

Paper in proceeding, 2019

An explorative user study was performed to study seat belt fit, perceived comfort and safety awareness of older adults in the front passenger seat of a large, stationary passenger car. The study included 55 participants between 65 and 80 years (32 males, 23 females). The participants buckled up in two scenarios, in a pre-defined seat position and in a self-adjusted preferred seat position. Anthropometric measures, photographs, and measurements of seat and seat belt positions were taken. Interviews were conducted regarding comfort perception and previous awareness of seat belt usage and discomfort. The results showed a change in seat belt fit due to older adults’ body compositions and increased BMI, and a limited safety awareness of non-optimal shoulder and lap belt fit. Some usually experienced discomfort in regular driving and used add-on accessories to increase sitting height and decrease sitting discomfort. These findings are important when designing restraint systems in future vehicles to ensure further improved safety for older adults.