THE EFFECT ON CASUALTIES OF A COMPULSORY SEAT BELT WEARING LAW IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

A compulsory seat belt wearing law in South Australia was preceded by a rise in the belt wearing rate and was accompanied by a further substantial rise. Casualty rates per 1000 involved vehicles, reported on a property-damage criterion, showed lower rates for 1967 and later models, which had belts compulsorily fitted, both before and after the wearing law. A before and after comparison showed reduction in the serious grades of casualties and an increase in the least serious. There was a differential effect on casualty reduction in 1967 and later models, which accounted entirely for the 7.5% overall reduction in the fatality rate. These comparisons are substantially free of effects due to concurrent changes in exposure to risk of accident and the observed reduction can be attributed to belt wearing law.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • Crinion, J D
  • FOLDVARY, L A
  • Lane, J C
• Publication Date: 1975-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 81-89
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash exposure; Crash rates; Crash severity; Laws; Loss and damage; Manual safety belts; Property
• Uncontrolled Terms: Property damage
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00125344
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 3 1975 12:00AM