Categories: Human Factors, Product Liability, Transportation Passenger Ejection from Golf Carts and Low Speed Vehicles TASA ID: On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at 2 p.m. ET, The TASA Group, Inc., in conjunction with engineering expert Dr. Oren Masory, will present a free, one-hour, interactive webinar, Passenger Ejection from Golf Carts and Low Speed Vehicles, for all legal professionals. Due to several environmental, social, and economic factors, the use of golf carts (GC), with limited speed of 12-15 mph, and Low Speed Vehicles (LSV), with limited speed up to 25 mph, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. These vehicles are no longer exclusively found on golf courses, but in residential areas, universities, and business complexes. With the increase in number of these vehicles utilized by the general public, the injury rate due to golf cart accidents has increased. It is estimated that there were approximately 48,255 golf cart-related injuries during the years 2002-2005. One of the leading causes of golf cart injuries is ejection from the vehicle. It is estimated that 45% of golf cart injuries occur due to a person falling off the vehicle when it is moving. Rear-facing passengers (RFP) are often victims of golf cart ejection due to their orientation in the vehicle. During forward acceleration of a golf cart from rest, a RFP is subjected to the same forces as the driver and front passenger. This force will tend to push the front passenger into his/her seat back, while it will pull the RFP off his/her seat back. This presents a danger not faced by the driver or front passenger during forward acceleration. For example, during a sharp turn to the right, the apparent centrifugal force felt by the left side RFP will push the RFP out to the left side of the vehicle. This danger is not faced by the driver or front passenger because the driver is able to hold onto the steering wheel, and the front passenger can see forward and anticipate subsequent maneuvers. If value of the net acceleration acting on the RFP is large enough, he/she may slide in a direction in which no restraints are present, resulting in ejection from the vehicle. The current restraints, however, do not provide any more support for the RFP than for the front passenger. During this program, the presenters will cover: Typical productsTypical accidentsCurrent restraints available on golf cars and LSVThe accelerations a passenger experiences during sharp maneuversMeasurement examplesAccident reconstructionsRestraints modifications About the Expert Dr. Oren Masory holds BS, MS and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Currently, he is a professor in the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL. He has over 30 years of mechanical engineering experience, served as a litigation and engineering consultant, and held positions in industry. His research interests include robotics, automation, machine tool controls, assistive technology, and accident reconstruction. Dr. Masory is an expert on vehicular accident reconstruction; low speed rear-end collisions; slips, trips and falls; pedestrian accidents; machinery; product liability; building and safety codes; speed and distance analysis. Dr. Masory has written numerous reports and articles for major publications on the above topics. He holds memberships in ASTM and SAE. Previous Article Wage Loss in Personal Injury Cases Next Article Food Safety Data Documentation Requirements Print