The safety belt has prevented more injuries and saved more lives in motor vehicle crashes than, perhaps, any other traffic safety technology. The safety belt is effective, however, only if it is consistently used. Despite its clear safety benefits, many people still do not use the safety belt. As part of a national program to reduce motor vehicle fatalities and injuries, in the late 1970s numerous states began writing legislation to mandate statewide safety belt use. Since the first safety belt law was passed in 1984 (New York), 49 states and the District of Columbia have passed similar laws (New Hampshire does not legislate belt use). In general, these laws have produced a dramatic increase in belt use immediately following implementation, followed by a subsequent decline in belt use that is generally above prelaw levels. This was the case in Michigan following implementation of a safety belt law in July 1985.
Direct Observation of Safety Belt Use in Michigan, Fall 1997
1997
62 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Transportation Safety , Road Transportation , Transportation , Transportation & Traffic Planning , Seat belt usage , Motor vehicles , Safety belts , Traffic safety , Legislation , Accident prevention , Surveys , Data collection , Safety equipment , Historical trends , Foreign countries , Traffic management , United States , Passengers , Injuries , Automobiles , Shoulder harnesses , Transportation safety