Fatality Reductions from Mandatory Seat belt Usage Laws

Mandatory seatbelt use laws (MULs) have the promise of preventing the death of many passenger car occupants involved in highway accidents. Data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) were analysed using pooled cross-section, time-series models to assess the effect of MULs implemented between December 1984 and June 1986 on highway fatalities in the 17 states and the District of Columbia that had implemented MULs by June 1986. The results indicate that MULs reduced front seat occupant fatalities by 5.8 percent on average. The results also indicate that the effect of a MUL is much stronger in the first quarter of implementation than in subsequent quarters.