Because data are collected for only fatal crashes, it is difŽ cult to accurately measure seat belt and air bag effectiveness. The use of safety devices in uences survival rates which in turn determine whether a crash is included in the sample, leading to sample selection bias. We propose a simple solution to the selection problem: limiting the sample to crashes in which someone in a different ...

This article, part of a recently CO!ll> l eted research project on safety belts, presents results on neck injuries. A total of 3927 injured front seat occupants (drivers and passengers) i nvol ved in two-car crashes were considered • ..Wang them, 725 sustained a neck sprain (ICD9:847. 0), some af them may have sustained ather injuries as well. The more serious injuries to the cervical spine wer...

Seat belt legislation appears to have reduced mortality from, and the incidence of, serious head and facial injuries due to motor vehicle accidents. The use of seat belts has, however, also modified injury patterns in car occupants involved in accidents. This review traces the introduction of seat belt legislation and delineates the types of injury which have been attributed to seat belt wearing.

The use of manual (i.e., active) restraint systems (or seat belts) in cars has increased dramatically over the last several decades, changing from around 10% in the late 1970s to as much as 68% in the 1990s (Datta & Guzek, 1992; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], 1996b). Several factors are responsible for this increase. One important determinant has been the passage of man...

In 1971 344 700 people sustained non-fatal injuries in road traffic accidents, and of these probably 8% (27 576) were back seat passengers. This figure is unlikely to be less in the subsequent years. Of these 27 576 passengers no fewer than half will have received moderate or severe injuries. Most authorities now accept that there is a dramatic reduction in the severity of injuries, in particul...

This paper investigates the relation between behavior adaptation and safety benefits of seat belts and whether condom promotion can be undermined by unintended changes in sexual risk perception and behavior. The comparison between 13 countries that passed seat belt laws and 4 countries without such laws shows a significant number of deaths among countries with seat belt laws. It has been sugg...

This study estimated the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing injuries and estimated the associated economic benefits using state of Kansas data. The estimation process included three stages. In the first stage, seat belt effectiveness in reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants was estimated. Crash data from Kansas Accident Reporting System (KARS) database was used to accomplish this es...

BACKGROUND The efficacy of seat belts in reducing deaths from motor vehicle crashes is well documented. A unique association of injuries has emerged in adults and children with the use of seat belts. The "seat-belt syndrome" refers to the spectrum of injuries associated with lap-belt restraints, particularly flexion-distraction injuries to the spine (Chance fractures). METHODS We describe the...

OBJECTIVE To assess the level of compliance with the new law in the United Kingdom mandating penalties for using a hand held mobile phone while driving, to compare compliance with this law with the one on the use of seat belts, and to compare compliance with these laws between drivers of four wheel drive vehicles and drivers of normal cars. DESIGN Observational study with two phases-one withi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect driver-side and passenger-side airbags have had on the incidence and severity of maxillofacial trauma in victims of automobile accidents. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of all automobile (passenger cars and light trucks) accidents reported in 1994. SETTING New York State. PATIENTS Of the 595910 individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents in New York in ...