SEAT-BELT LEGISLATION - THE EVIDENCE REVISITED

Do seat belts save lives? Does seat belt legislation save lives? Do safety measures, such as seat belts, alter behaviour in a way that reduces their intended benefits? A survey of coverage of the subject by the popular press, radio and television, and by the safety literature suggests that these questions have been conclusively settled in favour of seat belts; seat belt legislation appears to have been one of the most effective safety measures ever devised. The consensus in favour of seat belts is now so well established that it has become difficult for contrary views to get a hearing. Attention has shifted to the problem of how to increase wearing rates. But a return to the evidence reveals that the consensus in favour of seat belts is built on flawed foundations. The debate about seat belts raises questions about the way in which safety research is conducted, and the way in which the results are communicated to legislators and regulators.