Abstract
In a study of over 4.500 accidents, all vehicle occupants not using seat belts were observed to be more than four times as likely to be killed as those occupants using seat belts. The advantage of wearing a seat belt was shown to be even greater in the front seats of passenger cars where unrestrained occupants were observed to be more than five times as likely to be killed as those wearing seat belts. Of over 12.000 occupants observed in the study, 20% were wearing some type of restraint. About 65% of all occupants had some restraint available and of those having restraints available 31% used same. Only 4% of occupants that had shoulder belts available used them.