Safety Belt Use Research Articles

Factors Associated With Unrestrained Young Passengers in Motor Vehicle Crashes.

We analyzed 2011-2015 Fatality Analysis Reporting System and National Automotive Sampling System data and included vehicles with a young passenger (≤19 years old) in a crash. Driver and passenger characteristics were compared by using bivariate analyses separately for fatal and nonfatal crashes. Logistic regression analyses were performed on a combined data set to predict passenger restraint use. In unadjusted bivariate models, unrestrained drivers had a higher probability of having an unrestrained passenger across all passenger age groups for both fatal and nonfatal crashes. In multivariate logistic regression models that included both fatal and nonfatal crashes and were adjusted for several driver and passenger characteristics, unrestrained drivers had a higher risk of having an unrestrained young passenger across all age groups. In both fatal and nonfatal crashes, a driver being unrestrained is a strong predictor of the child passenger also being unrestrained. Policy and regulation to better ensure that drivers are properly restrained (eg, expanding primary seat-belt laws to all states) may serve as effective means for increasing rates of proper child-occupant-restraint use.

Persepsi antara Risiko Keselamatan Berkendaraan dengan Perilaku Pemakaian Safety Belt pada Driver Truk

Deaths and injuries from traffic accidents have become health problems for people throughout the world including Indonesia. The saddest data from the victims who died due to traffic accidents found that 10,428 people were killed in 2017 because the drivers did not use seat belts. This research aims to see the relationship between the perception of safety risk i.e. the ability, knowledge and environmental factors with the behavior of the use of safety belts in truck drivers in mining companies. This research is a comparative causal research i.e. research that states the relationship of one variable causes other variables. What is affected is the dependent variable, namely the use of safety belt behavior and the influencing variable is the independent variable, namely the perception of the risk of driving safety. Participants are 25 mining company truck drivers. The data obtained is then processed and analyzed using the SPSS version 16. Based on the results of data processing and analysis, it is found that the ability, knowledge and work environment factors have an influence on the safety belt usage behavior.

2440 - Analyzing Border to Border (B2B): Nationwide Campaign to Increase Seat Belt Use and Enforcement along State Borders

Each year, approximately 40,000 Americans die in traffic crashes and almost three million are injured. In 2016, with a 90 percent national seat belt use rate, seat belts prevented 14,668 fatalities. In 2010, the medical and work loss combined cost for occupant fatalities in motor vehicle crashes was over $12 billion. Sadly, many of these fatalities, injuries, and costs could have been prevented if the victims had been wearing seat belts or were properly restrained in child seats. In 2015, only 52% of those killed in motor vehicle crashes were restrained. Despite an overall increase in seat belt use over the past decade, traffic crashes are still the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in the United States. Primary seat belt laws have proven to be effective in increasing state’s seat belt use rate. When States upgrade their laws from secondary to primary, significant increases in safety belt use are often observed. This report will look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Border to Border initiative aimed at addressing seat belt non-use. Border to Border (B2B) is a one-day seat belt-awareness effort coordinated by participating State highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The goal is to reduce seat belt fatalities in their regions by implementing the Click It or Ticket (CIOT) campaign brand. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled and highly visible areas along state borders. The B2B initiative encourages cross-jurisdiction collaboration, across State borders, which will help law enforcement officers enforce seat belt laws. Since its inception in 2014, Region 2 has spearheaded the B2B program. Due to its size and success this year, NHTSA national headquarters is organizing the effort for 2018, which will include a 4-hour enforcement crackdown on May 21. This report will outline the expansion of the B2B program to a nationwide level. It will discuss state participation; engagement of law enforcement agencies, citations issued, and earned media. In addition to the results, it will look at the overall strengths and challenges of the initiative to inform future programs that require cross state collaboration by law makers, law enforcement, and public health programs globally.

An Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Use of Child Car Safety Seats and Safety Belts By Families Presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department

An Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Use of Child Car Safety Seats and Safety Belts By Families Presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department

Burden of road traffic injuries related to delays in implementing safety belt laws in low- and lower-middle-income countries

ABSTRACTObjective: Delayed implementation of effective road safety policies must be considered when quantifying the avoidable part of the fatal and nonfatal injuries burden. We sought to assess the avoidable part of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to road traffic injuries related to delays in implementing road safety laws in low- and lower-middle-income countries.Methods: We chose one country for each of the regions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank (WB) country income levels. We used freely available data sets (WHO, International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group, the WB). Delays in implementation were calculated until 2013, from the year mandatory use of safety belts by motor vehicle front seat occupants was first introduced worldwide. We used life expectancy tables and age groups as social values in the DALY calculation model. From the estimated total burden, avoidable DALYs were calculated using estimates of the effectiveness of seat belt laws on fatal and nonfatal injuries combined, as extracted from published international reviews of evidence.Results: From the reference year 1972, implementation delays varied from 27 years (Uzbekistan) to 41 years in Bolivia (no seat belt law as of 2013). During delays, total absolute numbers of DALYs lost due to road traffic injuries reached 8,462,099 in Nigeria, 7,203,570 in Morocco, 4,695,500 in Uzbekistan, 3,866,391 in Cambodia, 3,253,359 in Bolivia, and 3,128,721 in Sri Lanka. Using effectiveness estimates ranging from 3 to 20% reduction, the avoidable burden of road traffic injuries for car occupants was highest in Uzbekistan (avoidable part from 1.2 to 10.4%) and in Morocco (avoidable part from 1.5 to 12.3%). In countries where users of public transport and pedestrians were the most affected by the burden, the avoidable parts ranged from 0.5 to 4.4% (Nigeria) and from 0.5 to 3.4% (Bolivia). Burden of road traffic injuries mostly affected motorcyclists in Sri Lanka and Cambodia where the avoidable parts were less than 2% in both countries. In all selected countries, burden of traffic injuries mostly affected men (about 80%) as well as young people (15–34 years).Conclusions: Despite limited data availability in low- and middle-income countries, the avoidable part of the burden related to delayed intervention is measurable. These results can be used to convince countries to avoid delaying the provision of better protection to road users.

English

The primary objective of this article is to investigate how survival modelling can be used in traffic accident analysis to explain driver accident risk factors. Accident records of 398 drivers from 2007 to 2009 were obtained from Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Ghana Police Service, Northern region. Cox proportional regression model was employed for the analysis using the SAS package. The conclusion was that Survival modelling promises to be a useful tool for road safety analysis and the most significant variables to the risks of accident were driver characteristics (age, gender, experience), their behaviour in traffic (speed, use of alcohol, use of safety belt), the nature of exposure (annual kilometreage, road surface condition) and vehicle characteristics (vehicle age, weight, tyres condition). Implementation of the findings of this study will enable policy makers put up better measures to reduce accident occurrence in the region in particular and the country as a whole.   Key words: Cox proportional model, accident risks, annual vehicle kilometreage, survival modelling, SAS package.

Lives saved by laws and regulations that resulted from the Bloomberg road safety program

ObjectiveTo estimate lives saved during 2008–2023 by traffic safety laws passed in six developing countries while participating in the Bloomberg Road Safety Program (BRSP). MethodsBRSP-funded local staff identified relevant laws and described enforcement to the study team. We analyzed road crash death estimates for 2004–2013 from the Global Burden of Disease and projected estimates absent intervention forward to 2023. We amalgamated developing country and US literature to estimate crash death reductions by country resulting from laws governing drink driving, motorcycle helmets, safety belt use, and traffic fines. ResultsBRSP helped win approval of traffic safety laws in Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, Turkey, and Vietnam. In 2008–2013, those laws saved an estimated 19,000 lives. Many laws only took effect in 2014. The laws will save an estimated 90,000 lives in 2014–2023. Of the 109,000 lives saved, drink driving laws will account for 84%, increased motorcyclist protection for 13%, increased fines and penalty points for 2%, and safety belt usage mandates for 1%. Drink driving reductions in China will account for 56% of the savings and reduced drink driving and motorcycling deaths in Vietnam for 35%. The savings in China will result from a narrow intervention with just 4% estimated effectiveness against drink driving deaths. As a percentage of deaths anticipated without BRSP effort, the largest reductions will be 11% in Vietnam and 5% in Kenya. ConclusionsViewed as a public health measure, improving traffic safety provided large health gains in developing nations.

Abstract WP352: Self-Releasing Safety Belt Leads to Falls Reduction on Acute Stroke Unit

Intro: In 2015, a 21-bed acute stroke unit within a Comprehensive Stroke Center at an academic medical facility experienced a stark increase in their falls rate. A monthly average of 4.58 falls per 1,000 patient days was recorded for 2015, which was an increase over the two previous years. Methods: Various options were discussed to address the high rate of falls based on the unit population and the types of falls. After discovering an increase in falls from the bedside chair it was decided to implement use of a self-releasing safety belt when the patients were out of bed to the chair. The belts incorporated an alarm tied into the call bell system that would be triggered when released. This allowed for an additional layer of alarm to elicit a staff response to the room prior to a patient falling. Nursing and therapy staffs were educated on the utilization of these self-releasing belts when assisting any patient from bed to chair. Every patient admitted with the diagnosis of stroke utilized these belts while out of bed to the chair, even those who were deemed fully independent. Results: After implementation, the average fall per 1,000 patient days’ rate decreased from 4.58 falls to 3.89 falls per month. The total numbers of falls also decreased from 28 in 2015 to 20 in 2016. Falls from the chair, specifically, decreased from 11 in 2015 to 5 in 2016, representing a fifty percent decrease in falls from the chair with use of the self-releasing seatbelt. Conclusions: Overall, the falls rate decreased, and the falls specifically from the chair decreased. Data collected reflects all falls on the unit during the period in question and was not limited to patients using the self-releasing safety belts or falls from the chair. The next steps will be to ensure this practice is utilized uniformly and to evaluate similar methods to reduce falls from the bed and drive our rates down to zero falls per month.

Child seat belt guidelines: Examining the 4 feet 9 inches rule as the standard.

Current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations regarding transition from child safety/booster seat to adult safety belt use indicate that children should be at least 4 feet 9 inches, 8 years old, or 80 pounds. Proper fit in the vehicle seat, assessed with a five-point fit test, should also be met. Although most children reach 4 feet 9 inches around age 8 years, each child and vehicle presents a unique combination; thus a child may not fit appropriately in all vehicle types using only the 4 feet 9 inches requirement. We enrolled children, aged 7 years to 12 years, into our study. Height, weight, and demographic data were obtained. A Child Passenger Safety Technician then performed the five-point fit test in each of a uniform lineup of five vehicles. Data were collected on fit in the standard vehicle seat and also in a booster seat. We set 90% as the threshold proportion of children who meet all criteria for proper fit to validate current recommendations of a height of 4 feet 9 inches. Data were collected on 388 children. The percentage of 90% proper fit was met in the compact car and small sport-utility vehicle (SUV). However, only 80 (77%) of 104 students (p < 0.0001) that were 4 feet 9 inches or higher fit properly in the large SUV, only 87 (83%) of 105 students (p = 0.02) fit properly in the pickup truck, and only 91 (89%) of 102 students (p = 0.74) fit properly in the minivan. Substantial proportions of children meeting current height guidelines for an adult seat belt do not meet safety requirements for fit, especially in larger, commonly used vehicles (large SUVs and trucks). This emphasizes the need for evaluation of fit by a trained personnel and/or development of standard back seat dimensions in all vehicles for maximum safety. Epidemiologic level 1.

Are first-year nursing students' lifestyles coherent with their future career?

Nursing students are going to be professionals in the near future, and as carers, it will be essential for them to behave in a way that will allow them to have a positive influence on the health of others as well as their own health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lifestyles of first-year nursing students of 2 universities (one in Spain and the other in Colombia). A cross-sectional descriptive study design using validated surveys was adopted. A sample of 140 nursing students enrolled in 2014 in their first year of 2 universities (Seville in Spain, n = 37, and Antioquia in Colombia, n = 93) self-reported the FANTASTICO Lifestyle checklist. Findings reveal that (1) the lifestyles are not appropriate in 1 of 3 of nursing students in both universities and (2) there are statistically significant differences for family items, positive thinkers, the use of safety belts, and alcohol consumption before driving. A high proportion of the study's participants have inappropriate lifestyles that involve risks for the deferred development of chronic diseases. It is necessary for universities to develop educational interventions in the design of nursing degrees to strengthen healthy behaviours during training.

Evaluation of a participative education process for increasing tween restraint use in Virginia: The Make it Click initiative

IntroductionNearly half of 8–12year-old tweens killed in car crashes every year in the US are completely unrestrained, and the majority sit in the front seat. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a school-based program targeting increased safety restraint and back-seat use among tweens. Design and settingThe multi-component school-wide program was evaluated via a pre-post control-group design in four public elementary schools in an economically disadvantaged, multi-ethnic urban community in southeastern Virginia. Study schools had 1184 students enrolled in third through sixth grades. InterventionThe Make it Click Initiative was developed with input from student focus groups, surveys, and school personnel. Grounded in social cognitive theory and principles of behavioral psychology, the participative education program included: (a) competition to achieve a high rate of students buckled in the back; (b) a creativity contest with entries illustrating a car safety theme; (c) a series of parent education flyers; (d) car safety assignments that support state learning objectives; (e) a safety-themed play; (f) teacher newsletters; and (g) educational presentations. Main outcome measuresBehavioral observations (N=762) of children’s restraint and back seat use. ResultsMake it Click intervention schools’ observed safety belt use increased from 31.9% to 67.9%, and students in intervention schools were 3.3 times more likely to wear their belts at follow-up than students in control schools, X2(1)=19.72, p<0.001. Further, increases in belt use were maintained in study observations longer than those resulting from the highly publicized national Click it or Ticket enforcement program. Significant differences were not observed in back seat use. ConclusionsThe program resulted in significant improvements in observed safety belt use that outlasted results observed locally from the national high visibility enforcement program alone. Theory-driven participative education programs can improve the safety practices of school-age children.

Parental perceptions of teen driving: Restrictions, worry and influence

IntroductionParents play a critical role in preventing crashes among teens. Research of parental perceptions and concerns regarding teen driving safety is limited. We examined results from the 2013 Summer ConsumerStyles survey that queried parents about restrictions placed on their teen drivers, their perceived level of “worry” about their teen driver’s safety, and influence of parental restrictions regarding their teen’s driving. MethodsWe produced frequency distributions for the number of restrictions imposed, parental “worry,” and influence of rules regarding their teen’s driving, reported by teen’s driving license status (learning to drive or obtained a driver’s license). Response categories were dichotomized because of small cell sizes, and we ran separate log-linear regression models to explore whether imposing all four restrictions on teen drivers was associated with either worry intensity (“a lot” versus “somewhat, not very much or not at all”) or perceived influence of parental rules (“a lot” versus “somewhat, not very much or not at all”). ResultsAmong the 456 parent respondents, 80% reported having restrictions for their teen driver regarding use of safety belts, drinking and driving, cell phones, and text messaging while driving. However, among the 188 parents of licensed teens, only 9% reported having a written parent-teen driving agreement, either currently or in the past. Worrying “a lot” was reported less frequently by parents of newly licensed teens (36%) compared with parents of learning teens (61%). Conclusions and Practical ApplicationsParents report having rules and restrictions for their teen drivers, but only a small percentage formalize the rules and restrictions in a written parent-teen driving agreement. Parents worry less about their teen driver’s safety during the newly licensed phase, when crash risk is high as compared to the learning phase. Further research is needed into how to effectively support parents in supervising and monitoring their teen driver.

Has Child Restraint System Use Increased among Parents of Children in Shantou, China?

Objective: to examine parents’ use of child restraint systems (CRS), and determine if parents’ knowledge of, attitude toward, and use behavior of child restraint systems have improved following enactment of child restraint use laws in other cities. Design: Observations and a cross-sectional survey of drivers transporting children 17 years and under were conducted at the gate of the schools and parking lots of hospitals in Shantou. Observers recorded the seating location of child passengers, the type of restraint, and appropriate use of CRS and safety belts based on the observation. Knowledge of and attitudes towards use of CRS were reported by the driver following observation. Results: Approximately 6.6% of passengers aged 0–12 were in CRS; rate of forward-facing CRS in children aged 3–5 (9.9%) was higher than rear-facing CRS for children aged 0–2 (1.1%) and booster seat use among children aged 6–12 (0.1%). Children younger than four years old (OR = 3.395, 95% CI = 2.125–5.424), drivers having a college or higher lever education (OR = 2.908, 95% CI = 1.878–4.500) and drivers wearing seatbelt (OR = 3.194, 95% CI = 1.605–6.356) had greater odds of CRS use. Over half (56.6%) of parents might or would use CRS if they could rent CRSs with fees. Conclusions: The rate of CRS is still low in Shantou. Comprehensive public education programs supported by legislation might be an effective way to improve child passenger safety. Renting CRSs to parents could be a new approach to encourage use.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Front Windshield Sticker Reminder in Reducing Texting while Driving in Young Adults.

Texting while driving is a dangerous activity that is on the rise in the United States (U.S.). Since 2011 there has been a 17% increase in the number of people injured in a motor vehicle crash involving a distracted driver. Bans on the act of texting and driving have already taken place in 46 states in the U.S., but studies have shown that they are ineffective. An unstudied method of reducing texting while driving is sticker reminders. Sticker reminders have already been proven to be an effective intervention in the realm of driver safety; one study found that a “Buckle-Up” dashboard sticker doubled the use of safety belts by front seat passengers. In this study, 104 medical students aged 21 - 29, from the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine were randomly divided into two groups, an interventional group receiving a “Drive in the Moment” windshield sticker, and a control group not receiving the sticker. Both groups took a pre- and post-survey that recorded self-reported texting and driving frequency. The results showed that the sticker intervention significantly reduced reported rates of sending texts while driving, reading texts while driving, and using social media while driving (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that a novel sticker-intervention could potentially serve as a point of attack when addressing the growing and dangerous texting while driving the epidemic.

It can W8: A community intervention to decrease distracted driving

ABSTRACTResearchers tested an intervention to decrease cell-phone use while driving on a university campus. A total of 3,827 driving observations were recorded on a campus roadway over a three-week period. The campus intervention, consisting of fear appeals, pledges, and behavioral prompts, was tested using an ABA reversal design (Baseline-Intervention-Baseline) with observed cell-phone use as the dependent measure. A Chi-Square test of independence indicated the percentage of drivers talking on a cell phone decreased significantly from 8.5% of 945 drivers at Baseline to 5.5% of 1,428 drivers following the Intervention. In contrast, the percentage of drivers observed texting increased significantly from 4% of 945 drivers at Baseline to 6.2% of 1,428 drivers following the Intervention. Additionally, safety-belt use was associated with the type of phone use observed. Findings were significantly different for women versus men. Results are discussed in the context of behavioral community intervention and gender differences in traffic-safety behavior.

Seatbelt use to save money: Impact on hospital costs of occupants who are involved in motor vehicle crashes

ObjectiveSeatbelt use is the single most effective way to save lives in motor vehicle crashes (MVC). However, although safety belt laws have been enacted in many countries, seatbelt usage throughout the world remains below optimal levels, and educational interventions may be needed to further increase seatbelt use. In addition to reducing crash-related injuries and deaths, reduced medical expenditures resulting from seatbelt use are an additional benefit that could make such interventions cost-effective. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to estimate the correlation between seatbelt use and hospital costs of injuries involved in MVC. MethodsThe data used in this study were from the Nebraska CODES database for motor vehicle crashes that occurred between 2004 and 2013. The hospital cost information and information about other factors were obtained by linking crash reports with hospital discharge data. A multivariable regression model was performed for the association between seatbelt use and hospital costs. ResultsMean hospital costs were significantly lower among motor vehicle occupants using a lap–shoulder seatbelt ($2909), lap-only seatbelt ($2289), children’s seatbelt ($1132), or booster ($1473) when compared with those not using any type of seatbelt ($7099). After adjusting for relevant factors, there were still significantly decreased hospital costs for motor vehicle occupants using a lap–shoulder seatbelt (84.7%), lap-only seatbelt (74.1%), shoulder-only seatbelt (40.6%), children’s seatbelt (95.9%), or booster (82.8%) compared to those not using a seatbelt. ConclusionSeatbelt use is significantly associated with reduced hospital costs among injured MVC occupants. The findings in this study will provide important educational information for emergency department nurses who can encourage safety belt use for vehicle occupants.

Characteristics of Side-by-Side Vehicle Crashes and Related Injuries as Determined Using Newspaper Reports from Nine U.S. States.

Side-by-side (SxS) vehicles have become increasingly popular, but there are few reports on injury epidemiology. Newspaper reports of SxS and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes were analyzed for nine U.S. states from 2009 to 2011, including comparisons between the two vehicle types. Seventy-nine SxS crashes involving 104 injured victims were identified; three-fourths were males. There was a relatively high percentage of injured passengers (37%), and a higher proportion of female victims were passengers as compared to males (p = 0.015). Children <16 years of age were 44% of those injured and had the highest proportion of both passenger and operator victims as compared to other age groups. Over half of the crashes occurred on roadways; nearly two-fifths occurred at night. As compared to adults, a lower percentage of crashes involving youth were at night (p = 0.0037) but the percentages on roadways were similar. Only one in five roadway SxS crashes involved a collision with a motorized vehicle. Rollovers were the most common mechanism (50%). Two-thirds of victims were ejected, and one-half were struck or pinned by the vehicle. Twenty-eight deaths (27%) were reported. Although most current SxSs have roll bars, lack of safety belt use has likely reduced their benefit. Children should be prohibited from operating SxSs.

Injuries from traffic accidents and use of protection equipment in the Brazilian population, according to a population-based study.

The article aims to describe the injuries in traffic according to demographic characteristics, use of protective equipment, use of health services, activity limitations and disabilities. The percentage involvement in traffic accidents with injuries, the percentage of use of protective equipment, use of health services, limitation of daily activities, disability and sequelae, according to educational level, race, color, sex, age and region of residence it estimated.The use of safety belt in the adult population was 79.4%and 50.2% in the front seats and back, respectively; the helmet use among motorcycle drivers and passengers were respectively 83.4 and 80.1. Safety equipment are less used in the North and Northeast and in the countryside. Reported car accident last month 3.1%, being higher in males 4.5%, the people of complete primary schooling and School graduate, young adult and the brown race-color. Among the injured received some form of health care due to this accident 52.4%, were admitted 7.7%. They reported having had limitation of daily activities, disabilities and consequences arising from traffic accidents 14.1%. Car accidents are high in the country.

The importance of child car seat safety

Provoking the loss of a productive workforce and the waste of economic resources, through death or disability, the social and economic ramifications of road accidents attract the attention of researchers and stakeholders alike. Accidents have detrimental social, health and psychological consequences for families and cause them financial burdens. One of the means of protection against road accidents lies in taking preventive safety measures and educating children about them in order to reduce the risk of exposing children to accidents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Excluding non-communicable diseases, road accidents are the leading cause of death in the Kingdom. The safety belt in the vehicle is the first means of safety while driving. The 1998 Saudi Law on the use of safety belts defines the device as that part which holds the user's body firmly on the seat. On account of the exponential increase in the rate of road accidents and casualties, the need for the use of seatbelts cannot be overemphasized. This does not exclusively concern adults but also children who should be provided with the necessary means of protection and safety. We all learn how to protect our children at home, prevent them from playing with fire and sharp and harmful objects; we cover electric plugs and keep electric appliances away from them, and moderate the temperature of the heater in order to protect our children from being burned. We also learn the basics of first aid to rescue our children in case they are exposed to danger. However, have we ever thought of protecting our children when they are outdoors? Have we ever taught them how to cross the road and how important it is to use the safety belt in the car? Do we actually use it ourselves? Do we use the safety child seat for our children from birth? Have we ever shown them the importance of the car seat? The answer to all these questions is mostly in the negative. In our hectic daily life, and in our desire to reach places quickly, we forget or ignore the importance of safety in the car, and also forget or pretend to have forgotten the basic Islamic principle which urges Muslims to be cautious and, after entrusting our fate to Allah, to make use of all means. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: “Trust in Allah but tether your camel.” The Holy Koran forbids exposing oneself to harm. Allah, the Almighty, says: “and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction.” This paper examines the importance of the child car seat and its role in safeguarding children. Some of the relevant issues this paper intends to raise include: What are the best types of children's car seats and seatbelts? How should safety seats be used? Can a child use a seatbelt and dispense with the safety seat? What happens when the child safety seat is not available in the vehicle? In addition to other relevant issues, this paper discusses the psychological impact of traffic accidents and the importance of reckoning with the Islamic principle of making use of all.

Using Enforcement and Adjudication Data to Assess the Impact of a Primary Safety Belt Law

Background: Identification of effective implementation strategies for motor vehicle injury prevention law is an important priority for research in public health law and policy. Extensive literature in related fields demonstrates the relationship between enforcement activities and achievement of safety objectives.Purpose: We conducted this study to determine the role of enforcement and adjudication in the implementation of a primary safety belt law, including the level and sustainability of safety belt–related conviction rates, using newly available data from the state judicial administrative authority. A secondary goal was to assess the contribution of the administrative data set to the analysis of the primary safety belt law.Methods: The analysis used an interrupted time series design to evaluate the longitudinal effect of the primary safety belt law implementation in 2007 on safety belt infractions and convictions in Kentucky, 2003–2012.Segmented regression analysis was used to estimate changes in the level and trend of safety belt nonuse conviction rate after the full implementation of the law, while controlling for the baseline level and trend. The association between the safety belt–related conviction rates and other expected outcomes of the law's implementation was studied.Results: Safety belt citations doubled and convictions nearly tripled during the decade studied, most dramatically in the first year. Increases were sustained throughout the study period.There was a strong positive linear association between the safety belt nonuse conviction rate and the observed safety belt use in the state, as well as a strong negative association between the safety belt nonuse conviction rate and the number of nonrestrained motor vehicle crash fatalities.Discussion: Our analysis demonstrates that Kentucky's public safety and judicial systems took the new law seriously and enforced it effectively and that the increased level of enforcement persisted for at least 5 years after implementation. We also find that data from judicial system administrative agency reports make an important contribution to public policy analysis. In the face of persistent antiregulatory forces and public-sector budget cuts, it is critically important to document the relationship between enforcement activities and the achievement of legislative goals.