In 2014 the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 12,802 lives (occupants 5 and older), and an estimated 2,396 lives (occupants 13 and older) were saved by frontal air bags. An estimated 252 child occupants 4 and younger were saved by the use of child restraints, and 1,669 lives were saved by the use of motorcycle helmets. An additional 2,814 lives would have been saved in 2014 if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts. If all motorcyclists had been helmeted, then an additional 660 lives would have been saved. An estimated 485 lives were saved due to minimum-drinking-age laws. NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis has been producing annual estimates of lives saved since 1975. Table 1 presents estimates of lives saved in 2014 by restraint use and as a result of minimum-drinking-age laws. The estimates are calculated using the effectiveness of each device or law. More information on the methodology of lives-saved estimates is available in two NHTSA publications, Lives Saved FAQs (NCSA, 2009), which answers 30 common questions about lives saved and includes references to many other reports on lives saved; and Lives Saved Calculations for Seat Belts and Frontal Air Bags (Glassbrenner & Starnes, 2009), which describes in detail the methodology of estimating lives saved by seat belts and frontal air bags. It is shown that the estimated number of lives saved by seat belt use among occupants 5 and older increased from 12,584 in 2013 to 12,802 in 2014. The estimated number of lives saved by frontal air bags among occupants 13 and older increased from 2,388 in 2013 to 2,396 in 2014. Use of motorcycle helmets contributed to an increase in lives saved from 1,630 in 2013 to 1,669 in 2014. However, the estimated number of lives saved by child restraints among children 4 and younger and the minimum-drinking-age laws both decreased from 2013 to 2014. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting