VEHICLE safety experts are urging car makers to develop smarter seat belts to protect older drivers from chest injuries.
In research conducted at Loughborough University and the University of Birmingham in the UK and at Monash University in Victoria, Australia, Ruth Welsh and colleagues found that people aged 65 and over “were significantly more prone to serious chest injury” than younger drivers and front-seat passengers, with most injuries caused by seat belts tightening too much.
Car makers should introduce seat belts that can vary their tension according to the driver’s age and bone density, the team suggests. Last year a…
