A cost benefit analysis of an enhanced seat belt enforcement program in South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether a program to increase the wearing of seat belts in a South African urban area would be worthwhile in societal terms.


METHODS
A cost benefit analysis of a one year enhanced seat belt enforcement program in eThekwini (Durban) Municipality.


METHODS
Data were drawn from two main sources--a 1998 study of the cost of road crashes in South Africa and, given the absence of other data, a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of various types of interventions to reduce road crash casualties in the United States--and were analyzed using cost benefit analysis.


RESULTS
A program designed to enforce greater wearing of seat belts, estimated to cost 2 million rand in one year, could be reasonably expected to increase seat belt usage rates by 16 percentage points and reduce fatalities and injuries by 9.5%. This would result in saved social costs of 13.6 million rand in the following year or a net present value of 11.6 million rand. There would also be favorable consequences for municipal finances.


CONCLUSIONS
Investment in a program to increase seat belt wearing rates is highly profitable in societal terms.
Harris
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School of Economics & Management, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa. harrisg1@ukzn.ac.za
Olukoga
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D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000191:economics*; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality