THE EFFICACY OF SEAT-BELT LEGISLATION. A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROAD ACCIDENT FATALITY STATISTICS FROM 18 COUNTRIES

Countries surveyed by the report, representing over 80% of the world's car population, experienced a decrease in road accident fatalities following the oil supply restrictions in 1973. The decrease is said to have been greatest in those countries that had not introduced compulsory seat belt legislation. In countries surveyed which have introduced seat belt laws there have been increases in the percentage of car occupants wearing belts but no corresponding reduction in the total numbers of road accident fatalities. Following these observations, the report suggests that the protection of car occupants from accident injury by the use of seat belts itself encourages bad driving behaviour. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  University College London

  Department of Geography, Gower Street
  London,   England 
• Authors:
  • Adams, J
• Publication Date: 1981-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 20 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Crashes; Drivers; Driving; Evaluation and assessment; Fatalities; Fuels; Impact studies; Laws; Legislation; Manual safety belts; Safety; Statistics; Supply; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Decreases; Use
• Old TRIS Terms: Fuel shortage
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 9001: Behaviour; 9009: Decrease; 1772: Driver; 1855: Driving (veh); 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1602: Fatality; 1556: Legislation; 1476: Safety belt; 6555: Statistics; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00345808
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: No. 38 Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 27 1982 12:00AM