Citation

Lambert GE. J. Traffic Med. 1976; 4(3): 45-47.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the past traffic accidents were generally considered in a fatalistic way as simple cause and effect phenomena. Now, however, they are also being envisaged more probabilistically. Initial attention is paid to all the quantifiable parameters of risk. Ergonomics and its well known results in industry as well as biomechanics, particularly as applied to the dynamics of the man/machine interface, play important roles in the prevention of accidents and in reducing the severity of such accidents. The respective roles of ergonomics and biomechanics are shown in an accompanying illustration. The following topics can be identified as the most relevant: vision, safety belt and restraint systems, biomechanics, anthropometry, vibration and noise, fatigue, and environmental factors. Concerning vision, it must be stated that the precise roles of such visual parameters as visual activity, visual field, and stereoscopic vision are matters of some disagreement.