September 28, 2009

Contact: Sgt. R.K. Hughes, 803-530-1664

SC HIGHWAY PATROL INTRODUCES ROLLOVER CRASH SIMULATOR

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Highway Patrol announces that it has added a new tool to help demonstrate the importance of safety belts to occupants especially in rollover crashes.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded a $34,000 grant to the Highway Patrol for the simulator. The simulator illustrates the effect of a low-speed rollover crash using an adult and child dummy.

The cab of a truck is mounted to a trailer and when the trooper activates the simulator, the cab rotates at a speed of 15-17 mph. The demonstration at first shows what happens in a rollover crash when the dummies are secured by a safety belt. The second illustration shows them being thrown from the vehicle when not buckled up.

“The Rollover Simulator is an attention-getter because people initially want to know what it is,” said Col. Kenny Lancaster, Highway Patrol commander. “When they see it in action, however, they are shocked by how quickly the dummies are ejected from the vehicle when not restrained. This is the point we’re trying to drive home. Even at a very low speed, safety belts and child restraints are absolutely life-saving and vital.”

The grant has first focused on critical areas of the state where belt usage is low and fatalities are high. The first three counties of focus include Lexington, Berkeley and Florence. In the three counties where the rollover will initially be used, most of the people who died not wearing safety belts were males in the 21-50 age range.

In Lexington County, figures from 2008 show that from January through September, 71 percent of all traffic fatality victims had access to a seat belt but died unrestrained.
Berkeley County showed similar grim figures during that time period with 50 percent of all fatality victims having access to a seat belt but not using it at the time of the collision.
Florence County showed 73 percent of the traffic fatalities were not restrained at the time of death.

While safety belt compliance rose in June to its highest number since 1991 in South Carolina (over 80 percent), there is still much work that remains to be done.

According to the most recent safety belt study released by SCDPS, women continue to be more likely than men to use safety belts (87.8% to 77.1%); passengers are marginally more likely than drivers to use safety belts (82.1% to 81.3%); and rural occupants are less likely to use safety belts than urban occupants (79.5% to 82.3%). White occupants had a higher rate of use than non-white occupants (84.7% to 74.1%), while car occupants were more likely to wear safety belts than truck occupants (84.3% to 75.0%), according the study by the University of South Carolina.

The Highway Patrol will display the rollover simulator at the State Fair and will continue to use it at events with a high attendance including fairs, industry, festivals and churches.

Troopers demonstrate the Rollover Vehicle for visitors at the rest area on I-26 in Lexington on Labor Day weekend.

L/Cpl. Josef Robinson conducts a demonstration for visitors at the rest area.

Demonstrates the force with which the dummy is ejected during a low-speed rollover crash.