Abstract When calculating the effectiveness of an injury-reducing device from data on injuries with and without the device in operation, one meets the difficulty that injury is merely graded into a few categories from none to fatal, not measured on a continuous scale. This paper discusses the derivation of formulae that overcome this, and of statistical tests for whether the device has any effect. It is shown that there are two important issues to be considered when deciding on a formula: (i) The distinction between effectiveness relative to (a) the total variability in injury severity in all accidents, or (b) the variability within the particular circumstances of an individual accident, (ii) The shape of the probability distributions of injury severity in the two circumstances, with and without the device. As to the first issue, effectiveness of type (b) requires each case with the device to be matched with a case without the device, whereas type (a) does not; type (b) leads to a more powerful statistical test, whereas type (a) is more suitable for descriptive purposes. As to the second issue, it is shown that the logistic distribution has suitable theoretical properties and leads to formulae and statistical tests that are conveniently simple. However, it is demonstrated that formulae that are linear in the probabilities are unlikely to be suitable.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    The definition of restraint effectiveness


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1979-07-23


    Size :

    13 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Deployment zone definition and associated restraint control

    GRAMENOS JAMES N / HERBERT THOMAS | European Patent Office | 2020

    Free access

    DEPLOYMENT ZONE DEFINITION AND ASSOCIATED RESTRAINT CONTROL

    GRAMENOS JAMES N / HERBERT THOMAS | European Patent Office | 2019

    Free access


    Effectiveness of mandatory child restraint laws

    Wagenaar,A.C. / Univ.of Michigan,Transp.Res.Inst.,Ann Arbor,US | Automotive engineering | 1984