Seat Belts: Safety Ignored

This paper discusses the use and non-use of seat belts and the relevance of such practices to automobile passenger safety. Literature reviewed covers the percentage of current use, psychological and physiological variables, voluntary and compulsory belt use programs, and the effectiveness of seat belts in reducing the severity of injuries and the incidence of automobile fatalities. The authors conclude that while seat belt use could significantly improve automobile safety, the major difficulty is ensuring use; hence the need for information and education campaigns to educate people about the chances of their being involved in an accident and about the efficacy of seat belts in reducing the chances of death and injury from traffic accidents.