COMPULSORY WEARING OF SEAT BELTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. AN EVALUATION OF ITS EFFECT ON VEHICLE OCCUPANT DEATHS IN THE FIRST YEAR

In New South Wales, Australia, the wearing of seat belts was compelled by a regulation under the Motor Traffic Act. The number of occupants of motor vehicles killed in traffic crashes during 1972, the first year of the regulation, was 701, as compared to 860 (18.5% more) in 1971. It was not proved that the new law was responsible for this drop. However, there was no such drop in a number of associated variables. Further, no other measure was introduced at the end of 1971 which might conceivably have had a marked effect on the number of occupants killed. It is reasonable to assume, therefore, that the relationship was a causal one. /SRIS/

• Corporate Authors:

  New South Wales Dept of Motor Transport, Australia

  Traffic Accident Research Unit, Rothschild Ave, Roseberry
  Sydney, New South Wales 2018,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Henderson, M
  • Wood, R
• Publication Date: 1973-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Fatalities; Laws; Manual safety belts
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00127156
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 14 1976 12:00AM