Impact of anthropometric measurements on

ergonomic driver posture and safety

Abstract
Basic properties of vehicle interior are described. Car seat design, uphol-
stery fabrics and passenger safety have been particularly emphasized. Textile
fabrics as products providing comfort, safety and esthetics of the vehicle in-
terior were dealt with. Safety belts, airbags and car seat covers were specially
pointed out. Specific problems related to the safety of passengers, whose
anthropometric measurements deviate from the average ones, were ad-
dressed.
INTRODUCTION
P
erforming everyday jobs qualitatively and efficiently is unthinkable
without any kind of vehicle. In most cases these vehicles are motor
car, motor bicycle, bicycle, train, bus, ship, airplane etc. As a conse-
quence of industry development, very fast, aesthetically attractive and
cost-effective cars have been developed. Thus, almost everyone can buy
a car relatively easily. Due to a large number of motor vehicles and pas-
sengers in traffic, frequent road accidents occur with a tragic outcome.
The most frequent cause is too high speed and fatigue. Inexperienced
young drivers in fast cars do not have any feeling of dangers on roads.
Besides, incorrect sitting, unadjusted car seats, non-use of safety belt
and use of motor vehicles without airbags are a frequent cause of severe
car accidents. Ergonomically well designed car seats, comfort, and spa-
ciousness of the environment reduce passenger fatigue which is espe-
cially important for the driver. This paper will pay considerable atten-
tion to the driver, consequences of a car accident because of ergonomi-
cally incorrect bodily posture and non-use of safety belts and airbags.
Concerning difference in a drivers anthropometric measurements,
it is sometimes a problem to adjust the car seats and safety belts. This
problemarises in the deployment of the airbag if the drivers body devi-
ates from average anthropometric measurements so that the drivers
head slips outside of the airbag. It happens if the driver is exceptionally
tall or short. The seat can be mostly adjusted by pulling it for-/back-
wards. Thus, the correct position of the legs can be adjusted. The seat
height is not adjustable, and a short driver has a lower head position
and a tall driver a higher one. The short driver is in an unenviable posi-
tion, not only because of a poor field of vision, but also because of the
possibility that the safety belts and airbags do not operate efficiently, as
the body can be more easily released at the moment of a crash and get
injured.
STANA KOVA^EVI]
1
JOVAN VU^INI]
2
SNJE@ANA KIRIN
2
NATALIJA PEJNOVI]
3
1
Faculty of Textile Technology
University of Zagreb
Prilaz baruna Filipovi}a 28a
10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
2
Polytechnic of Karlovac
Trg J.J.Strossmayera 9
47 000 Karlovac, Croatia
3
Croatian Institute for Health
Protection and Safety at Work
R. Cimermana 64a
10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Correspondence:
Stana Kova~evi}
Faculty of Textile Technology
University of Zagreb
Prilaz baruna Filipovi}a 28a
10000 Zagreb
E-mail: stana.kovacevicttf.hr
Key words: ergonomic bodily posture,
passenger safety, anthropometric
measurements, airbags, safety belts, car
seat covers
Received October 15, 2009.
PERIODICUM BIOLOGORUM UDC 57:61
VOL. 112, No 1, 5154, 2010 CODEN PDBIAD
ISSN 0031-5362
Original scientific paper
THEORETICAL SECTION
Motor vehicle interior
The role and presence of textile in motor vehicles is of
paramount importance. When taking a look into the mo-
tor vehicle interior, textile is first noticed. It is one of the
reasons why one decides on buying a car. Design, perfor-
mance and efficiency are the key parameters essential for
the built-in textile to fulfill its tasks. The fabrics used be-
long to the group of technical textiles having high strength,
elasticity, porosity, resistance to abrasion, flammability,
sunlight and other properties necessary for this purpose.
Exceptional importance is attributed to fabrics used for
airbags. Passenger safety depends on their properties and
cut forms when there is a car accident. These fabrics
should have specific properties such as: minimum air
permeability, especially high strength which is achieved
through rawmaterial composition, processing, construc-
tion parameters and high quality joined places. In addi-
tion to interior design fabrics and airbags, fabrics for
safety belts are also of great importance. These woven
narrow fabrics are made specifically and belong to the
group of fabrics woven on narrow fabric weaving ma-
chines. They feature high strength, stability obtained by
a specially selected yarn with high densities achieved.
Besides safety role of textile, design, comfort in driving
and their adaptability to interior design play a significant
role. These requirements are not only met by fabric, but
also by knitted fabrics and nonwovens. By combining
these three types of surface materials the motor vehicle
interior is equipped. The greatest share goes to non-
woven fabric since it is the most cost-effective and used
for covering all parts in the interior car section coming
into contact with the body. In this section, woven and
knitted fabrics as multilayered products prevail. The out-
er layer is very strong, but elastic woven or knitted fabric
followed by polyurethane foamand the back side is a thin
knitted or woven fabric. The first layer, which represents
the front side of the fabric, plays a predominant role in
comfort and performance. Textile products have one more
indispensable task in cars; these are different filters and
sieves produced in a special way that strictly meet world
standards. These are mostly nonwoven or woven fabrics
(16).
Role of ergonomics and anthropometry
in motor vehicles
Ergonomics belongs to young interdisciplinary scien-
tific fields although it has been known since ancient
times. Psychophysical fatigue is an occurrence which is
very harmful when performing a specific task. Human
body and psyche become fatigued not only by moving,
but also by prolonged resting. Fatigue represents a hazard
which can cause disastrous consequences in the work-
place and environment. Fatigue is especially hazardous
when driving a car or any other motor vehicle. Traffic ac-
cidents often occur in which the cause of the traffic acci-
dent cannot be determined, e.g. a car swerved into the
other lane and collided with another car. Accidents are
probably caused by fatigue of the driver driving for a pro-
longed period since the body is motionless, sitting in a
comfortable car seat. After some time concentration di-
minishes, and drowsiness occurs of which the driver is
unaware. Truck driving prescribes resting after a certain
number of kilometers, thus reducing possible accidents.
But passenger car driving with high speeds where high
concentration is necessary does not foresee prescribed
norms for taking a rest after driving and sitting in the car.
This causes car crashes with cars fromthe opposite direc-
tion or car swerving off the road. Consequences of such
accidents may be disastrous. Ergonomically unsuitable
car seat or the drivers workplace giver rise to psycho-
physical fatigue. Since the drivers seat is adjusted to av-
erage anthropometric measurements of the human body,
all persons who do not fit these measurements have cer-
tain difficulties when driving a car. Shorter drivers with
shorter limbs do not only have problems reaching con-
trols, but also in the field of vision (7). Taller drivers feel
lack of space and reduced field of vision. These problems
are reduced by correcting the seat shift, but the problem
cannot be solved to the fullest. In addition, protective
equipment such as airbags and safety belts cannot pro-
tect the driver with those anthropometric measures that
deviate from the average ones. The consequence is mostly
a partial counterbalance of the head impact against the
airbag because inertia force in the upper body is not tar-
geted at the air bag center so that the body slides by alpha
angle (Figure 1). Likewise, a body with smaller or greater
proportions than the average ones slides more easily
above or beneath the safety belt by a certain shift which
can be represented as b, g and d angles according to
Figure 1. These problems can be solved only partially by
integration of an airbag into the seat beneath the leg, ergo-
nomically better designed seat and the possibility of shift-
ing the seat into the positionmore suitable for the driver. A
solution can be expected when the drivers workplace is
adjusted to anthropometric measurements of the driver
who operates the motor vehicle or such sensors are devel-
oped which could adapt the drivers seat to his/her anthro-
pometric measurements (8, 10).
52 Period biol, Vol 112, No 1, 2010.
Stana Kova~evi} et al. Impact of anthropometric measurements on ergonomic driver posture and safety
b
a
d
g
Figure 1. Shift of the drivers body at the moment of collision.
Figure 1 shows body shift at the moment of a direct
car crash. Due to inertia the body shifts forward. The
drivers head hits against the airbag which has already
been deployed, compensating the impact with a rela-
tively soft body which does not have adverse consequ-
ences for head impact (10). However due to a rapid head
movement the spine may be injured, and dangerous
body injuries may happen. If the driver has greater an-
thropometric measurement, the head will hit against the
upper part of the airbag, whereby its movement will be
greater and alpha angle will be greater, as well. Likewise,
there is a danger that the head slips off the airbag, espe-
cially if the body is in incorrect posture at the moment of
collision. If the driver deviates from the average anthro-
pometric measurements to lower values, there is a risk
that the airbag deployment hurts him. At the moment of
collision the whole body torso shifts forward and separates
from the seat at a beta angle. By shifting the torso the
knees and the upper part of the leg shift by a d angle and g
angle. This body shift may be even greater if the safety
belts do not function effectively, if the seat is not designed
ergonomically and as adjustable and if there is no airbag
in the seat which will lift the front part of the seat at the
moment of collision. The consequences of torso and ex-
tremity shift are injuries caused by an impact against
hard car parts and frequent bruises (1114).
EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
Three female persons of different body heights (155,
165 and 175 cm) and three male persons of different body
heights (175, 185 and 195 cm) (Table 1; Figures 2, 3) were
tested. Anthropometric measurements of persons in the
drivers seat and surrounding measures were made with-
in the car. Anthropometric measurements were made in
the drivers position according to Figure 2. The figure
Period biol, Vol 112, No 1, 2010. 53
Impact of anthropometric measurements on ergonomic driver posture and safety Stana Kova~evi} et al.
a
f
g
h
j
k
l
m
i
e
c
a
b
d
Figure 2. Drivers anthropometric measurements in the car.
TABLE 1
Anthropometric measurements of males and females according to body heights.
Sizes
according
to Fig. 1
Anthropometric measurements in females
(cm)
Anthropometric measurements in males
(cm)
Average
(cm)
Body height (cm)
155 165 175 175 185 195 175
a 38.4 38.3 38.7 39.4 39.7 39.8 39.1
b 14.8 14.8 15.0 15.2 15.7 16.9 15.4
c 34.6 34.8 35.3 35.3 36.6 38.1 35.8
d 47.4 47.5 47.7 48.2 48.4 48.4 47.9
e 78.2 83.7 88.0 88.3 93.7 98.1 88.3
f 69.1 72.2 76.1 76.3 82.6 88.4 77.5
g 51.3 54.4 56.6 60.9 62.4 64.9 58.4
h 50.5 50.5 50.5 50.5 50.5 50.5 50.5
i 20.4 21.7 24.3 24.0 24.7 24.0 23.2
j 44.0 45.7 48.8 48.1 50.3 52.5 48.2
k 52.4 52.6 53.2 53.3 53.5 53.4 53.1
l 57.7 58.1 58.5 58.8 59.6 59.8 58.8
m 39.9 43.2 45.5 45.4 47.8 50.7 45.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
a b c d e f g h i j k l m
l (cm)
Female height 155 cm
Female height 165 cm
Female height 175 cm Male height 175 cm
Male height 185 cm
Male height 195 cm
Figure 3. Anthropometric measurements.
shows that there is only one anthropometric measure-
ment constant, which is h, meaning that most of them
change with a change in drivers anthropometric mea-
surements. The basic measurement, on which the airbag
effectiveness is dependent, is an alpha angle which closes
the triangle between the eyes and the place from which
the airbag hops out.
DISCUSSION
Ergonomic seat position and drivers anthropometric
measurements are particularly important for driver safe-
ty, airbag and safety belt effectiveness (Figure 1). Short
drivers (less than 155 cm) or tall drivers (more than 195
cm) face certain problems when driving a car, including:
quicker fatigue, difficult driving conditions, the sense of
a cramped space, or too distant controls. Adjustment of
the drivers seat to drivers anthropometric measurements
has not been solved to the full extent.
According to the measurement results obtained, a dif-
ference in drivers anthropometric measurements and
surrounding measurements within the car may be found
(Table 1, Figure 3).
Drivers body height affects anthropometric and sur-
rounding measurements which are essential for safe car
control. The shortest drivers height (155 cm in female
drivers) means the lowest measurements according to
Figure 2 and the highest measurements mean the great-
est height (195 cm in male drivers). The result thereof is
correlation of anthropometric measurements with height.
Nevertheless, there are cases when anthropometric mea-
surements of some body parts are higher in short persons
and vice versa (Table 1, j and m). It often happens that
anthropometric measurements in men and women are
different in case of the same heights. Such case was con-
firmed in these measurements too where measurement
(g) was higher in men, and measurement (j) in women
of the same height (175 cm). According to these analyses
it may be claimed that anthropometric measurements af-
fect drivers body posture in the car and the efficiency of
car safety devices. A driver with large anthropometric
measurements requires a larger space to feel comfortable
and safe when driving.
CONCLUSION
An appropriately and ergonomically designed car seat
reduces drivers fatigue and provides safe traffic.
Proper body posture, use of safety belts and airbag ef-
fectiveness support safety and reduce injuries in case of a
collision.
Anthropometric measurements of a driver and sur-
rounding measurements of car controls affect traffic safety
and drivers fatigue.
A driver shorter than average has an inappropriate
field of vision. Risk of injuries is higher due to the ineffec-
tiveness of safety belts and airbags.
Taller than average drivers feel cramped so that a risk
of injuries due to the ineffectiveness of safety belts and
airbags is increased, and in particular head and spine in-
juries can occur.
In the future it may be expected that the workplace is
adjusted to anthropometric measurements of a driver by
using sensors.
Acknowledgements: The results shown in the paper were
obtained in scientific programs: Advanced Technical Textiles
and Processes, code: 117-0000000-1376 conducted with the
support of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of
the Republic of Croatia.
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Stana Kova~evi} et al. Impact of anthropometric measurements on ergonomic driver posture and safety