Association Between Exposure/Non-Exposure to the Mandatory Seat Belt Law with Regards to Compliance in Vehicle Accident Victims - A Hospital Review

This article reports on a study undertaken to evaluate the effect of a 1999 law that made seat belt usage in motor vehicles compulsory. The study focused on the prevalence of seat belt usage and the association between exposure/non-exposure to the mandatory seat belt law and seat belt use in subjects who presented to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) as a result of motor vehicle accidents. Subjects were included from June to November 2003, post-seat belt law (POBL) period (n = 171), and May to October 1999, pre-seat belt law (PRBL) period (n = 87). The prevalence of seat belt use was 47% (PRBL) and 63% (POBL) respectively. Adjusting for age, gender and front or back seat position in vehicle exposure, there was about 100% increase in the odds of seat belt use during the post seat belt law era. The authors conclude that the mandatory seat belt law legislature was associated with increased seat belt use in motor vehicle accident victims. However, they caution that current data indicate that there is still an alarming number of fatalities in Jamaica.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00433144
• Authors:
  • Williams, E W
  • Reid, M
  • Lindo, JLM
  • Williams-Johnson, J
  • French, S
  • Singh, P
  • McDonald, A H
• Publication Date: 2007-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 236-239
• Serial:
  • West Indian Medical Journal
  • Volume: 56
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: University of the West Indies
  • ISSN: 0043-3144

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatalities; Laws and legislation; Seat belts; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mandatory seat belt use laws; Prevalence
• Geographic Terms: Jamaica; West Indies
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01105308
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 30 2008 8:10AM