This study evaluated a device that prevents drivers from shifting vehicles into gear for up to 8 s unless seat belts are buckled. Participants were 101 commercial drivers who operated vans, pickups, or other light trucks from the U.S. and Canada. The driver could escape or avoid the delay by fastening his or her seat belt before shifting out of park. Unbelted participants experienced either a c...

BACKGROUND This study was designed to break down the association of age, sex and seat belt use with risk of death for drivers of automobiles involved in a crash into two theoretical components: intrinsic severity of the crash and occupant resilience. METHODS We studied all 84,338 pairs of drivers and front-seat passengers aged > or = 18 years in passenger cars involved in traffic crashes with...

Trauma remains a leading cause of death and disability in America, and motor vehicle crashes (MVC) are the most common cause of serious injury in West Virginia. In this study, we examined the role of seat belt use or non-use in the death, disability, and hospital charges of 500 patients admitted after MVC to a rural Level 1 trauma center in 1990. Eighty percent of the patients who required hosp...