Abstract
This paper presents an overview of recent estimations of safety belt effectiveness obtained using a new technique-the double-pair comparison method. The method is applied to determine the effectiveness of three-point lap /shoulder belts in preventing fatalities to drivers and right front passengers in passenger cars of model year 1974 or later, averaged over the distribution of crashes which occur in U.S. traffic. The method is then applied to investigate the dependence of effectiveness on a variety of vehicular, accident, roadway, and environmental factors.