UMTRI Project

Seated Anthropometry of the Pregnant Driver

Sponsor: General Motors
Investigator: Kathleen DeSantis Klinich
08/19/1996 - 03/31/1999

Pregnant occupants pose a particular challenge to safety engineers because of their rapidly changing anthropometry and the additional “occupant within the occupant.” A detailed study of the anthropometry and seated posture of twenty-two pregnant drivers over the course of their pregnancies was conducted. Subjects were tested in an adjustable seating buck that could be configured to different vehicle package geometries with varying belt anchorage locations. Subjects were tested four times during their pregnancy to examine changes in seat positioning, seated anthropometry, and positioning of the lap and shoulder belts with gestational age. Data collected include preferred seating positions of pregnant drivers, proximity of the pregnant occupant to the steering wheel and airbag module, contours of the subjects’ torsos and abdomens relative to seat-belt centerline contours, and subject perceptions of their seated posture and proximity to vehicle components. The project report includes observations regarding the pregnant abdomen size, shape, and proximity to the steering-wheel rim and restraints as functions of gestational age and maternal stature and weight.