Abstract
In a sample of 19 metropolitan areas safety belt usage is observed from November 1977 till june 1978. The usage for 1964-1978 model cars was 14%, it was highest for the 1974 and has declined for the 1975-1978 model cars. Usage is highest for subcompact cars, higher for women than man and higher in the west than in other regions. An extension beyond the basic research design resulted in unverified data.