Lap seat belt injuries.

Over a 4 month period, three patients presented acutely to Whangarei Area Hospital after receiving severe abdominal injuries caused directly by lap seat belts. They were involved in road traffic crashes and were all seated in the middle rear seat of the car. The aim of this paper is to alert people to the injuries that can occur from two point lap belts. To this end, the patients and injuries sustained are described and a review of the literature is presented.