Occupant Restraints
During 1998 motor vehicle occupant casualties not wearing an available restraint resulted in:
- 16% of those killed (was up to 20% in 1997)
- 5% serious injury crashes
Seatbelts reduce the risk of adult death by about 50% and for children that figure could be as high as 70-90%. However, the non-wearing of seatbelts by rural males is still a matter of concern.
Despite the proven benefits of seatbelts, on average police report more than 32,000 driver’s and passengers each year for failing to wear occupant restraints.