ANALYSIS OF SEAT BELT USE AND OUTCOMES IN 1996 MAINE CRASHES

Using linked motor vehicle crash, emergency medical service, hospital discharge, and death certificate records from the Maine Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) project, seat belt use and injury outcomes were evaluated. After adjusting for other crash variables and over-reporting of belt use we found that occupants (drivers and passengers) not belted were more likely to be injured in a motor vehicle crash (adjusted odds ratio 1.32, p<.001). Separate models run at different severity levels of injury indicated increasing risk when belts were not used; hospitalization or death with a head injury had the highest risk (adjusted odds ratio 2.79, p<.001). The results were similar to previous estimates reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) using data from Maine and other CODES states. Trend data indicate that as belt use (based on observational study) has increased in Maine the number of hospitalizations from motor vehicle crashes has declined. Hospital charge data indicated that unbelted occupants had a higher mean charge ($15,076) than those belted ($11,950).

• Corporate Authors:

  Maine Health Information Center

  P.O. Box 360
  Augusta, ME  United States  04351

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Finison, K S
  • Dubrow, R B
• Publication Date: 1999-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Databases; Head; Injuries; Injury severity; Risk analysis; Seat belts; Trend (Statistics); Utilization
• Identifier Terms: Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data linkage; Hospital charges; Hospitalization
• Geographic Terms: Maine
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I81: Accident Statistics; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00765941
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-808 888,, Research Report
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-97-8-07282
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 14 1999 12:00AM