ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, SPINAL INJURIES AND SEAT BELTS

Studies in Australia and Great Britain have shown that wearing of a seat belt has greatly reduced risk of spinal injury. Experts agree that many spinal injuries are caused by being ejected from the vehicle or being thrown about within the car. A British study showed that 700 lives would be saved and 7,000 serious injuries avoided in the U.K. if everyone in a car wore a seat belt. The cost to the health service for the care of these victims is 18 million pounds sterling per year. In Australia, the compulsory wearing of seat belts reduced spinal injuries by 27 percent--a figure twice as large as the reduction in other serious injuries and deaths. These findings were confirmed by a 1980 Scottish study. The article urges drivers to encourage passengers to wear seat belts by doing so themselves.

• Corporate Authors:

  Churchill Livingstone

  Journals Division, Fourth Avenue
  Harlow, Essex,   England 
• Authors:
  • Watson, N
• Publication Date: 1983-2

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 63-64
• Serial:
  • Paraplegia
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Churchill Livingstone

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Crashes; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Spinal column; Statistics; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident costs
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00386830
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-036 275
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM