Use of safety belts--Madrid, Spain, 1994.
An estimated 300,000 persons die and 10-15 million persons are injured each year in traffic crashes throughout the world (1). In Spain, during 1993, motor-vehicle crashes accounted for 6378 deaths (16 per 100,000 population) and were the leading cause of death for persons aged 1-44 years and the leading cause of years of potential life lost (2). Safety belts are 40%-70% effective in preventing severe injuries and deaths associated with motor-vehicle crashes (3). In April 1975, the Traffic Safety Administration of Spain implemented a mandatory safety-belt-use law for persons who were front-seat passengers traveling outside city limits (i.e., interurban traffic). On June 15, 1992, the law was expanded to include all front-seat passengers traveling in vehicles in the city limits and passengers in the back seats of vehicles with manufacturer-installed safety belts (4). In September 1994, the Ministry of Health of Spain, in collaboration with the Traffic Safety Administration, conducted surveys to assess the impact of the expanded law. This report summarizes findings of this assessment in Madrid, including the first direct observation survey of safety-belt use by front-seat occupants and a telephone sample survey of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to motor-vehicle use.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013030:Spain