Mandatory seatbelts: epidemiologic, financial, and medical rationale from the Colorado matched pairs study.
In what approximated a controlled clinical trial for efficacy of seatbelts, the Colorado matched pairs study examined 256 crashes meeting the following criteria: driver plus front-seat passenger, one belted (SB) and one nonbelted (NSB) occupant, and at least one occupant injured. Nearly half (119 of 256) of the SB partners escaped injury, while only 16% (41 of 256) of the NSB group were as fortunate. To ascertain a differential effect the 160 pairs discordant for injury were analyzed. The relative odds for injury in the SB group was 0.34 (95% Cl: 0.24, 0.49) of that in the NSB group. Likewise, relative odds for any medical costs in the SB group was reduced to 0.24 (95% Cl: 0.14, 0.43) and for hospitalization to 0.29 (95% Cl: 0.10, 0.80). Sixty-five percent of the SB group had no medical costs in contrast to only 29% of the NSB group. Altogether the NSB group accounted for 76% of the medical costs and 72% of the hospitalizations. This study establishes the effectiveness of seatbelts in reducing nonfatal injuries using epidemiologic, financial, and medical data.
Marine
W M
WM
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
Kerwin
E M
EM
Moore
E E
EE
Lezotte
D C
DC
Baron
A E
AE
Grosso
M A
MA
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*