SEAT BELT USAGE IN COUNTRIES WITH BELT LAWS. A STATUS REPORT

In July 1984, two major events drew widespread public attention to the issue of seat belt usage in the United States. On July 11, the U.S. Department of Transportation ruled that if states containing two-thirds of the population enact seat belt laws by April 1, 1989, installation of automatic ("passive") crash protection devices will not be required in new cars. On July 12, Governor Cuomo of New York, the nation's second most populous state, signed America's first state law requiring the use of seat belts in passenger cars, to take effect December 1. The effect of seat belt use laws in foreign countries is an important factor in evaluating the potential effects of such laws in the United States. In recognition of the need for information on belt usage experience in countries with seat belt laws, the Highway Users Federation compiled this report. It is based on the latest data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Transport Canada, and other sources where indicated.

• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility

  1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Calvin, R M
• Publication Date: 1984-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Foreign; Laws; Manual safety belts; Measures of effectiveness; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00399090
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 797, HS-041 176
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1985 12:00AM