Association of rear seat safety belt use with death in a traffic crash: a matched cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the association of rear seat safety belt use with death in a traffic crash.


METHODS
Matched cohort study.


METHODS
The US during 2000 through 2004.


METHODS
Drivers (10,427) and rear seat passengers (15,922) in passenger vehicles that crashed and had at least one driver or rear passenger death. Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.


METHODS
The adjusted relative risk (aRR) of death for a belted rear seat passenger compared with an otherwise similar unbelted rear passenger.


RESULTS
Safety belt use was associated with a reduced risk of death for rear car occupants: outboard rear seat aRR 0.42 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.46), and center rear seat aRR 0.30 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.44). For rear occupants of light trucks, vans, and utility vehicles, the estimates were: outboard aRR 0.25 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.29), center aRR 0.34 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.48).


CONCLUSIONS
If the authors' estimates are causal, traffic crash mortality can be reduced for rear occupants by approximately 55-75% if they use safety belts.
Zhu
Motao
M
Bureau of Injury Prevention, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York 12204, USA. mxz04@health.state.ny.us
Cummings
Peter
P
Chu
Haitao
H
Cook
Lawrence J
LJ
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States