Mandatory Seat Belt Use Laws

Report No: 85-R18

Published in 1985

About the report:

The purposes of this study were to review mandatory seat belt use laws as they have been used around the world, to forecast the impact of such a law in Virginia, and, if appropriate, to propose a mandatory seat belt law for inclusion in the Code of Virginia. This report consists of a review of the literature on mandatory seat belt laws, an analysis of automobile crash data for Virginia for the years 1978 through 1983, and a study of available statistics on current restraint use in the Commonwealth. The results indicate that a mandatory seat belt law would save hundreds of lives and cause great reductions in injuries from automobile accidents. The relatively low administrative costs associated with this law would be vastly outweighed by savings directly attributable to seat belt use. Consequently this report proposes that an act mandating restraint use be passed in Virginia.

Documents

85-R18

_{Disclaimer Statement:The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.}

Authors

Joseph Grey

Last updated: January 16, 2024