Update on the Effectiveness of High Retention Seats in Preventing Fatal Injury in Rear Impacts

<b>Purpose:</b> Starting in 1997, General Motors (GM) introduced high retention seats in new model vehicles to improve rear impact safety. The seat allowed the occupant to pocket into the seatback and had increased strength and improved head restraint coverage. The initial 4-year safety trends were evaluated using the 1991–2000 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The reduction in odds of fatal injury was 30.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9–51.1, <i>P</i> <b>Methods:</b> The 2001–2008 FARS was analyzed for rear impacts of 1992 to 2008 model year GM vehicles that transitioned to high retention seats. The number of fatal and nonfatal injuries to drivers and right-front passengers was determined in vehicles with baseline (earlier designs) and high retention seats. The odds ratio for fatal injury and the change in fatality risk were determined with ±95% confidence intervals, <i>z</i>-statistic, and significance level. The data were further subdivided by passenger car, light truck (truck, SUV, and van) and driver-only crashes.<b>Results:</b> Based on 9,570 drivers and right-front passengers in fatal rear impacts in 1991–2008 FARS data, the fatality risk was 16.6% (95% CI, 15.1–18.3) in vehicles with high retention seats and 27.1% (95% CI, 26.1–28.1) in vehicles with baseline seats. The reduction in odds for fatal injury was 46.3% (95% CI, 39.3–52.4) with high retention seats and it was statistically significant with <i>z</i> = 9.982, <i>P</i> <b>Conclusions:</b> Vehicles with high retention seats significantly reduced the odds for fatal injury by 46.3% (95% CI, 39.3–52.4, <i>P</i>