Citation

Culver CC, Viano DC. Hum. Factors 1990; 32(6): 625-636.

Affiliation

Biomedical Science Department, General Motors Research Laboratories, Warren, MI 48090-9055.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2094649

Abstract

An anthropometric description was developed for the fetal region of women at three, six, and nine months of pregnancy. This involved superimposing a fetal ellipse on abdominal and pelvic ellipses of seated women from a previous study. The data were developed for women of 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile size. The ellipses identify body contact zones on the side and front which would interact with the fetal region in a crash. The new information provides spatial characteristics of pregnant women for the development of test dummies, accommodating restraints, and friendly interiors and for enhancing crash protection. This research addresses the 342 deaths of pregnant women estimated to occur annually in motor vehicle crashes.