Seat Belt Injury

Excerpt

Seat belts save lives. Restraints in vehicles have prevented innumerable deaths due to a head injury and many other lethal fates.

The first seat belt designs were introduced in 1894, after being patented in 1885. In motor vehicles, the front lap belt became standard in 1964. In 1973 the lap belt was upgraded to a three-point harness, mostly due to the efforts of Bohlin. This introduction has led to almost a 50% decrease in fatal injuries from automobile collisions. Safety harnesses represent "active restraints," while airbags and head restraints are referred to as passive restraints. Despite obvious benefits, seat belts are not universally used in most countries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported an 83% compliance in the United States in 2008.