Author: C. LivingstonPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 64
Book Description
Task Force Report on Mandatory Safety Belt Usage Laws
Author: C. LivingstonNew Law Relating to Mandatory Use of Safety Belts
Author: Don DykeMotor Vehicle Safety
Author: United States. General Accounting OfficePublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 56
Book Description
The Constitutionality of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws
Author: Mark L. BoozPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 56
Book Description
Low seat belt usage rates have persisted for years despite efforts to educate people about belts' benefits. There is ample documentation of the contribution of seat belts to saving lives and reducing injury. The emotional and pecuniary toll of the failure to use belts is enormous, yet of little effect in modifying people's behavior. Involuntary measures seem to be the only effective solution to the problem of misperceptions about belts' effectiveness and ingrained attitudes which resist education. Compulsory belt use laws have been successful in other countries, and since 1984 have been considered by the Department of Transportation to be a viable alternative to passive restraints. The possibility of the widespread adoption of mandatory belt use laws has again raised questions about the legitimacy of such self-protective legislation. A similar debate spawned many court cases 15-20 years ago when mandatory motorcycle helmet use laws were passed. Many of the arguments made then are relevant to the seat belt issue. The basic question remains: Are the devices effective enough and is the public interest in protecting the individual strong enough to warrant the intrusion on privacy? The answer must consider that driving takes place in a public arena. Further, studies indicate a substantial correlation between seat belt use and the protection of life and health. A case can be made for many third party effects and social costs of accidents, so this matter involves more than a mere question of the individual right of privacy. Given the traditional deference of the courts to state legislatures in the area of highway safety regulation, mandatory seat belt use laws may well pass constitutional challenges. Various legal theories support this conclusion. The right to travel is subject to reasonable regulation. A law applicable to all automobiles can hardly be described as discriminatory, thus dismissing equal protection objections. As long as there is no substantial interference with interstate travel and there are tangible "local" benefits, the flow of commerce is not impermissibly restricted. The volume of statistics supporting belts' efficacy constitute a reasonable means of serving a legitimate state interest in public health and welfare. They may well pass a more rigorous standard, and amount to a real and substantial relation between the law and its objective. The due process challenge thus being satisfied, the remaining question becomes one of a policy choice for the legislature about the desirability of this means over other alternatives.
Mandatory Safety Belt Use Legislation
Author: Jessica A. GinsburgPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 52
Book Description
This report discusses the current environment which would influence the consideration of a mandatory safety belt use law in Virginia. First, the regulatory context fostered by the U.S. Department of Transportation's issuance of federal motor vehicle safety standard 208 is examined. This rule requires that automobile manufacturers install passive restraints such as airbags or automatic seat belts in all cars by 1989 unless states covering two-thirds of the nation's population enact mandatory safety belt use laws. Next is a discussion of the provisions of the mandatory use laws in effect in 16 states, along with data from New York and New Jersey, the first two states to enact such legislation. In New York State, safety belt usage increased from around 20% to nearly 78% following the effective date of the law. While the use of belts subsequently declined, it remained two or three times higher than before the law. A significant decline in highway fatalities was also noted following passage of the mandatory use law. Finally, data on safety belt usage and traffic deaths in Virginia are examined. According to statistics from the Fatal Accident Reporting System, of the 2,154 people killed in highway accidents in Virginia between 1982 and 1984, 2,076 (96%) were not wearing safety belts. Belt wearers, who constitute as much as 20% of the motorists, accounted for only 4% of the traffic deaths. A similar relationship is evident in the data for each of the Department of Motor Vehicle districts in the state.
Safety Belt Usage
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Subcommittee on Investigations and ReviewPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 524
Book Description
Seat Belts and the Law: Mandatory Use Laws and the Legal Consequences of Non-use. Volume I. Final Report
Author: B. F. BohanMotor Vehicle Safety: Comprehensive State Programs Offer Best Opportunity for Increasing Use of Safety Belts
Author: Highway Safety
Author: United States. General Accounting OfficePublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 68
Book Description
Accident reports show that most of the 40,000 people killed annually in traffic crashes in the United States were not using safety belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that over 16,000 lives could be saved annually if all front seat occupants wore safety belts. To assist ongoing federal and state deliberations on safety belt safety, the Chairman, Subcommittee on Water Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Ranking Minority Member, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, asked GAO to evaluate and summarize existing studies on safety belts. This report focuses on the (l) effectiveness of safety belts in reducing deaths and serious injuries, (2) impact of state safety belt use laws on fatality and serious injury rates, and (3) costs that society incurs when unbelted motor vehicle occupants are involved in accidents.
Mandatory Safety Belt Use Law for Wisconsin
Author: Robert D. St. ClairPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Automobiles
Languages : en
Pages : 60
Book Description