Background: As population aging progresses in Japan, an increasing number of older wheelchair users regularly travel in the rear space of motor vehicles. Poor seatbelt fit is the main cause of severe or fatal injuries in collisions. The current study sought to examine the potential risks regarding seatbelts for wheelchair users in Japan using national statistics, and to elucidate the mechanisms of injuries among wheelchair users involved in frontal collisions using sled tests. We propose a restraint system for wheelchair users traveling in vehicles.
Hitosugi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.