Mandatory Seat Belt Laws in the States: A Study of Fatal and Severe Occupant Injuries," Evaluation Review

This study examines the impact of mandatory seat belt laws on fatal and incapacitating injury rates in the states. Annual data for all 50 states for the period 1975-1991 are used. Pooled time series analysis is employed. The general conclusion that emerges from this analysis is that seat belt laws significantly impact state fatal injury rates. Primary enforcement and all-seat coverage provisions appear to be particularly effective in reducing fatality rates. Traffic safety is an important issue for the states. In 1992 alone, 40,300 lives were lost in motor vehicle crashes (National Safety Council 1992, 1). Although this was the lowest total in over 30 years, motor vehicle crashes still rank among the leading causes of death in the nation. They are the leading cause of accidental deaths, accounting for approximately 49 % of all acciden-tal deaths in 1992 (National Safety Council 1992,1). Additionally, 2.2 million disabling injuries were suffered in traffic accidents during the same year. It is estimated that motor vehicle crashes account for an economic cost of over $156 billion annually (National Safety Council 1992, 1). During the past 2 decades, states have enacted numerous regulatory policies to increase the safety of their highways and roads. One notable effort has been the adoption of laws mandating the use of seat belts by drivers and passengers in motor vehicles. When properly used, seat belts have bee