Use of the safety belt defense : the New York experience.

For almost 20 years now, American automobile drivers and passengers have been bombarded with advice to buckle up for safety. In the face of overwhelming reasons why they should buckle up, safety belt usage in the U.S. has been declining. What many Americans do not realize is that their safety belts could have a devastating impact upon them financially as well as physically. A number of courts now permit juries to impose monetary penalties upon auto belts.