GM researchers to guide Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies

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Researchers from General Motors are helping to guide the faculty of the Child Injury Prevention Studies (CChIPS) to identify opportunities for improvement of safety belt performance for child occupants.

Beyond this initial activity, General Motors has also joined the advisory board of the Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies (CChIPS) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute.

According to the GM news release GM news release, “Child passenger safety is a priority for GM,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Environment, Energy and Safety Policy. “The additional expertise provided by the Center’s faculty and members of the advisory board, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will supplement GM’s ongoing work.”

GM researchers are the lead industry mentors for a 10-month study to determine why some children 8-15 years of age experience injuries in vehicle crashes even when wearing a safety belt.

The GM team will work with CChIPS faculty at Children’s Hospital and University of Pennsylvania, as well as other CChIPS members in the vehicle manufacturer, restraint supplier, child seat manufacturer, and insurance industries to compare injury and fatality risks for children using safety belts with those of adults in similar restraints.

GM has already been a leader in promoting child passenger safety through its partnership with Safe Kids USA. As part of the longstanding Safe Kids Buckle Up program, certified child passenger safety technicians have inspected 1.3 million child safety seats for proper installation. Other Safe Kids USA educational and awareness programs include Spot the Tot and Never Leave Your Child Alone.

About the Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies

Hosted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, CChIPS (www.chop.edu/cchips) is one of 50 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) funded jointly by the National Science Foundation and center member companies to conduct translational research that is practical to industry. CChIPS is the nation’s only I/UCRC devoted to injury prevention among children and young adults.

“We welcome GM’s participation in our consortium and the opportunity to have access to the company’s research and development expertise,” said Flaura Winston, MD, PhD, and director of the Center for Child Injury Prevention Studies. “The safety belt study will be greatly enhanced by GM’s participation and will provide crucial data that will improve industry efforts to make vehicles, and their rear seats in particular, safer for older children.”

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About the Author: After 39 years in the auto industry as a design engineer, Frank Sherosky now trades stocks and writes articles, books and ebooks via authorfrank.com, but may be contacted here by email: FrankS@TorqueNews.com

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