Seat belt injuries and external markings at autopsy in cases of lethal vehicle crashes

A study was undertaken to determine what injuries are associated with the wearing of seat belts and if the presence of cutaneous seat belt markings observed on victims of lethal vehicle crashes increased the likelihood of underlying injury. Autopsy reports from the files at Forensic Science South Au...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medicine, science, and the law science, and the law, 2023-07, Vol.63 (3), p.195-202
Main Authors: O’Donovan, Siobhan, van den Heuvel, Corinna, Baldock, Matthew, Humphries, Melissa A, Byard, Roger W
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A study was undertaken to determine what injuries are associated with the wearing of seat belts and if the presence of cutaneous seat belt markings observed on victims of lethal vehicle crashes increased the likelihood of underlying injury. Autopsy reports from the files at Forensic Science South Australia were reviewed for all fatal motor vehicle crashes from January 2014 to December 2018. A total of 173 cases were included for analysis with 127 occupants wearing seat belts at the time of impact (73.4%) (age range = 18–93; mean = 45 M:F = 81:46). Of these, only 38 had external seat belt markings (29.9%) (age range = 19–83; mean = 49 M:F = 20:18). Logistic regression modelling showed that occupants who were wearing seat belts were more likely to experience closed head injury without skull fractures in addition to mesenteric and gastrointestinal injury. Increasing body mass index increased the incidence of seat belt markings (p 
ISSN:0025-8024
2042-1818
DOI:10.1177/00258024221127845