Regarding the injury receiving body parts of older drivers
wearing a seat belt, Figures 7(1) through 7(4) shows
the percentage of injured body parts according to the level of vehicle
damage and the age of fatally and seriously injured drivers.
Figure 7(1) reports the injured body parts
of the drivers killed in accidents of major vehicle damage. Head injury
is most frequent among drivers aged between 20 and 59 with the contribution
ranging from about 45% to 55%. Among drivers aged 60 to 74, however, both
chest injury and head injury are the most frequent at a contribution of
about 30% each. From age 75 and above, chest injury exceeds head injury.
For fatalities in medium-damage accidents as shown in Figure 7(2),
chest injuries outnumber head injuries from age 65 and above.
In the case of drivers seriously injured in major-damage
accidents, Figure 7(3) indicates that head injury is
the most frequent up to age 49, but chest injury clearly takes over from
age 55. Also, in the case of serious injuries in accidents of medium vehicle
damage, chest injury is notably high from age 55 and becomes the most
frequent with its contribution nearing 40% among drivers aged 70 and over.
Thus, whether fatal or serious injury, the typical injury
pattern of older drivers differs from the injury pattern of the others
in that the contribution of chest injury is markedly high among older
drivers. |
