P6: Seating Position
Definition:
The location for this occupant in, on, or outside of the motor vehicle prior to the first event in the Sequence of Events. See Example Diagram.
(From a State Police Instruction Manual): Note - More than one person may have the same seating position. Example, a child being held in the lap of another occupant or a person sitting in front of the driver of a motorcycle.
Element Attributes
Subfield 1 - Row:
- Front
- Second
- Third
- Fourth
- Other Row (bus, 15 passenger van, etc.)
- Unknown
Subfield 2 - Seat:
- Left (usually the motor vehicle or motorcycle driver except for postal vehicles and some foreign vehicles)
- Middle
- Right
- Other
- Unknown
Subfield 3 - Other Location:
- Not Applicable
- Sleeper Section of Cab (Truck)
- Other Enclosed Cargo Area
- Unenclosed Cargo Area
- Trailing Unit
- Riding on Motor Vehicle Exterior (non-trailing unit)
- Unknown
Other Seat (in any row) (from FARS Coding Manual) - persons lying across the seat or when there are two or more people seated in the middle.
Rationale:
Without known seating position of each person in the motor vehicle, it is not possible to fully evaluate, for example, the effect of occupant protection programs.
