United States Department of Transportation
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Exploration of Impact Measures of Safety Belt Use Laws: Volume 1: Final Report
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1990-02-01
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[PDF-9.90 MB]
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Edition:Final report
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Abstract:Author's abstract: This project identified, evaluated, and recommended indicators of safety belt use law (SBUL) impact (other than fatality reduction and observed belt usage), as well as institutional sources that collect them. The project involved an extensive literature review, indicator assessment by an expert team, and a survey, of data sources sponsored by the National Safety Council. Four indicators out of 52 candidates were judged to have the highest potential for assessing SBUL impacts: (1) the "KABC" injury scale used on police accident reports, (2) the Abbreviated Injury Scale used on medical records, and its derivative Injury Severity Score, (3) occupant ejections from vehicles, and (4) head and face injuries including cranium, brain, and concussive injuries but excluding ear and eye injuries. Two data sources out of 160 surveyed satisfied most of the 13 evaluation criteria. The Major Trauma Outcome Study appears useful for a multi-state before-and-after study of SBUL impact. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System could be adapted to gather national data to monitor future impacts of belt law revisions and other programmatic measures. The most promising long-term, state-level evaluation approach involves modifications of several data systems to link crash data in police accident reports with injury data in hospital medical records and trauma registries. Valid and reliable SBUL impact indicators are not immediately available from many existing sources and it is unlikely that they can be generated quickly: It is recommended that coordination and integration of data-gathering efforts at the national level should be given first priority.
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