Citation

Rubinstein E. Proc. IRCOBI 1973; 1: 49-58.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1973, International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper sets out to examine a group of seat belt wearers killed in road traffic crashes. Some demographic similarities and differences between the seat belt wearers killed and the population from which they have been selected are examined.

The number and type of all significant injuries of the deceased seat belt wearers have been recorded and these are compared with a sample of deceased crash victims killed in the same number of crashes of the same type but not wearing seat belts.

The material used has been collected from crashes in the Australian State, Victoria, which in 1971 had a population of 3.5 million. There were 1,427,104 motor vehicles registered in that year and 620 drivers and passengers were killed in road traffic crashes.

On December 22, 1970 the State Government proclaimed a bill that "a person shall not be seated in a motor car that is in motion, in a seat for which a seat belt is provided unless he is wearing the safety belt and it is properly adjusted and securely fastened".