THE PAPER BEGINS WITH AN ABBREVIATED HISTORY OF PASSENGER CAR RESTRAINT REGULATION AND USE IN THE UNITED STATES. SELECTED STUDIES WHICH ESTIMATED USAGE AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR THE PERIOD 1963 TO 1977 ARE REFERENCED AND CORRESPONDING ESTIMATES ARE GIVEN. ACCIDENT DATA FILES AND OBSERVATIONAL SURVEYS FROM WHICH MORE RECENT (POST-JANUARY 1, 1977) ESTIMATES CAN BE OBTAINED ARE THEN DESCRIBED. RESTRAINT USAGE RATES OBTAINED FROM THESE SOURCES ARE PRESENTED. FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE USAGE SUCH AS OCCUPANT ROLE AND VEHICLE SIZE ARE ADDRESSED AND COMPARISONS BETWEEN SOURCES ARE MADE TO DETERMINE CONSISTENCY. OVERALL ESTIMATES OF USAGE ARE GIVEN. RESTRAINT EFFECTIVENESS IS DEFINED AND ESTIMATES OF INJURY AND FATALITY REDUCTION ARE GIVEN AS CALCULATED FROM THESE ACCIDENT DATA SOURCES. OVERALL ESTIMATES ARE GIVEN FOR INJURY AND FATALITY REDUCING EFFECTIVENESS. FINALLY, THE BENEFITS OF WEARING BELTS ARE QUANTIFIED IN TERMS OF LIVES SAVED AND INJURIES PREVENTED.(A) FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 802816.
Samenvatting