Obesity and aging population is newest auto safety challenge
Auto safety engineers are busy these days adapting to a new reality in American society; how to protect a driving population that is, on average, older as well as more obese. The aging and fattening of the population will change the injury problem in crashes, says researcher Jonathan Rupp of the University of Michigan.
Right now, 27% of the U.S. population is considered obese, Rupp says, and the rate of obesity is increasing by 0.5% to 0.6% per year with no sign of letting up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Obesity mainly affects injury risk in frontal crashes because a heavier than normal occupant requires a bigger, stiffer airbag and wider, stronger seatbelt for proper restraint. Engineers have already developed adaptive restraint technologies that customize belt forces to each occupant and inflatable seatbelts that can spread impact forces over a larger surface area.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans 65 and over will rise from about 40 million today to about 87 million by 2050. TRW, a major safety-systems supplier, says current and future airbag systems can adapt the stiffness of an inflating bag to occupant size, position and weight, by using special tethers and vents.
Seatbelts also can be equipped with load-limiting devices that stretch and manage high crash energy for both large and small occupants without exerting too much force in specific areas. TRW has also developed an active buckle lifter concept that automatically extends the seatbelt buckle 3.5 ins. (90 mm) for two seconds after the driver or passenger sits, making it more convenient for a large or elderly person to buckle up. It also reduces belt slack during dynamic driving conditions to keep the belt snug and occupant in position in case there is a crash.
In addition to obesity and age issues, safety engineers are looking at everything from developing in-vehicle blood alcohol detection systems to preventing computer hackers from attacking the electronic systems in cars and trucks.
Traffic deaths hit a record low 33,186 in 2009, but NHTSA is not celebrating. Instead, it is looking to ratchet up new rules because it anticipates fatality rates to increase as the economy improves and vehicle miles traveled rise.
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