SEAT BELT USAGE AND BENEFITS IN NORTH CAROLINA ACCIDENTS

This report is an evaluation of restraint system benefits based on lap belt and shoulder harness usage rates and injury reduction benefits for all seating positions in North Carolina accident-involved vehicles. The restraint system data were collected in addition to the accident information normally collected by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol in the summer of 1970. Detailed analyses were conducted based on accident type, impact site, estimated speed just prior to contact, and non-belted and belted frequencies for both serious and minor injuries. Depending on the available sample sizes, chi-square, Poisson, or binomial tests were employed to detect significant differences between the belted and unbelted groups. The results, according to the authors, further document previous findings which show the effectiveness of lap belts and shoulder harnesses and point out the continuing need for programs aimed at increasing restraint system usage rates. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This project was sponsored by the Office of the Governor's Highway Safety Coordinator, North Carolina, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Washington, D.C. under grant number 310-73-001-001.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  Highway Safety Research Center
  Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599
• Authors:
  • Council, F M
  • Hunter, W W
• Publication Date: 1974-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 81 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash analysis; Manual safety belts; Statistical analysis; Traffic crashes; Utilization
• Old TRIS Terms: Harness
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00096005
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM