Seat belts: a study of their use by the victims of road traffic accidents

Abstract

This paper reports a study of 266 patients who were admitted to an Accident Service after being involved in road traffic accidents during the four-month period from February to May in 1976. There were 216 front-seat occupants, of whom 21 per cent were wearing seat belts: 156 patients were treated as outpatients and 105 patients were admitted to the wards. Five patients were dead on arrival, none of whom had been wearing a seat belt. There was a significant reduction in the likelihood of being admitted as an inpatient ( P < 0.05) if a seat belt was used. There was an 11 per cent increase in the use of seat belts compared with a similar study carried out in 1971 and random roadside surveys also showed a 10 per cent increase. The implications of these findings are discussed.