Automobile seat belt use in selected countries, states and provinces with and without laws requiring belt use

Abstract Belt use in automobiles was observed in 19 cities in five countries. In jurisdictions with belt use laws, belt use ranged from a high of 83% in Sydney, Australia to a low of less than 1% at expressway exits in Japan. Prior to the belt law in Ontario and Quebec, Canada and in the United States without a belt law, belt use ranged from a high of 33% in Los Angeles to a low of 4% in Windsor, Ontario. Persons less than 20 years of age were using belts less often than adults and many people were wearing belts too loosely to be effective in crashes. The 10–20% reductions in deaths in countries with belt laws are not as high as would be expected from the known effects of belts apparently because of the lower usage by those disproportionately involved in severe crashes and because belts are worn improperly.