TARU 1/81: Child Restraint Effectiveness in NSW Crashes, 1977 Onwards

NSW Government report TARU 1/81 details an in-depth study of 73 children in 231 crashes on New South Wales roads, focusing on restrained children under eight years of age. The study was conducted following legislation from March 1977 requiring child restraints or adult belts. It analyzes the crash protection provided by approved child restraints and seat belts, including details on five fatalities.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the effectiveness of approved child restraints based on crash outcome data from severe collisions.
• Studying the failure modes of seat belts (lap/sash, three-point) based on descriptions of specific fatal incidents.
• Evaluating the impact of 1977 NSW child restraint legislation based on the study's focus and temporal context.
• Assessing injury risk factors for children in vehicles based on crash severity and restraint installation details mentioned.

Strengths

• Report is based on a specific study (IMPACT 7) of 73 children in 231 crashes, providing a concrete case count.
• Includes detailed analysis of specific fatal incidents with described causes, such as luggage impact and side intrusion.
• Context is provided by the March 1977 legislation in New South Wales, anchoring the study's purpose.

Limitations

• The primary data format is a PDF report; underlying tabular data and column definitions are unavailable.
• Row count for the underlying crash/child records is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data reflects a specific historical period and geographic region (NSW roads post-1977), which may limit generalizability.

Provenance

Source

NSW Government

Collection Method

In-depth study (IMPACT 7) of crashes reported to involve children transported by ambulance.

Time Range

Study period likely after March 1977 legislation; specific years not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-26 14:15:18.289726; freshness should be verified.

Geography

New South Wales, Australia roads.