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CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Use of Safety Belts: Laws Mandating Use

CDC

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Safety belt laws mandate the use of safety belts by motor vehicle occupants. All current U.S. laws cover front seat occupants. Other requirements, such as rear seat coverage, fines, affected age groups, type of enforcement, and exempted vehicles and drivers vary by state.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends safety belt laws as a strategy based on strong evidence of their effectiveness in increasing safety belt use and reducing fatal and non-fatal injuries among adolescents and adults.

Results / Accomplishments

Results from the Systematic Reviews:
Thirty-three studies qualified for the systematic review.

• Fatal injuries: median decrease of 9% (interquartile interval: 2% to 18% decrease; 6 studies)
• Nonfatal injuries: median decrease of 2% (interquartile interval: 15% decrease to 11% increase; 6 studies)
• Fatal and nonfatal injuries combined: median decrease of 8% (interquartile interval: 3% to 20% decrease; 9 studies)
• Observed safety belt use: median increase of 33 percentage points (interquartile interval: 20 to 36 percentage points; 10 studies)
• Police-reported safety belt use: increase of 26 percentage points (2 studies)
• Self-reported safety belt use: median increase of 16 percentage points (interquartile interval: 13 to 19 percentage points; 4 studies)

About this Promising Practice

Primary Contact
The Community Guide
1600 Clifton Rd, NE
MS E69
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 498-1827
communityguide@cdc.gov
https://www.thecommunityguide.org/
Topics
Health / Prevention & Safety
Community / Governance
Community / Transportation
Source
Community Guide Branch Epidemiology and Analysis Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Location
USA
For more details
https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/motor-v...
Target Audience
Adults

Related Promising Practices

  1. CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Use of Safety Belts: Enhanced Enforcement Programs
  2. CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Use of Safety Belts: Primary (vs. Secondary) Enforcement Laws
  3. Tribal Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention Programs
  4. Seat Belt Use Feedback Signs on Campus
  5. Buckle Up, Stay Safe
  6. Massachusetts Click It or Ticket Campaign

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.