Seat belt
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2008-07-17T04:32:34Z
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{{otheruses4|the safety device|the band|The Seatbelts}}
{{for|other belts|Belt}}
[[Image:Seatbelt.svg|150px|right|frame|A '''three-point''' seat belt.]]
A '''seat belt''', sometimes called a '''safety belt''', is a [[safety harness]] designed to secure the occupant of a [[vehicle]] against harmful movement that may result from a [[collision]] or a sudden stop. As part of an overall occupant restraint system, seat belts are intended to reduce [[injury|injuries]] by stopping the wearer from hitting hard interior elements of the vehicle or other passengers (the so-called [[Second Impact (safety)|second impact]]) and by preventing the passenger from being thrown from the vehicle.
== Types of seat belts ==
[[Image:Airplane seat belt 1.jpg|thumb|200px|Lap seat belt (or "'''two points'''") in an airplane]]
[[Image:Seatbelt.jpg|thumb|200px|'''Three points''' seatbelt in a car. The three points belt is the standard seat belt for road cars.]]
[[Image:Lotus 22 inside detail.jpg|thumb|200px|'''Five points''' harness in a racing car.]]
===Lap===
Adjustable strap that goes over the waist. Used frequently in older cars, now uncommon except in some rear middle seats. Passengers aircraft seats also use lap seat belts.
===Sash===
Adjustable strap that goes over the shoulder. Used mainly in the 1960s, but of limited benefit because it is very easy to slip out of in a collision.
===Lap and Sash===
Combination of the two above (two separate belts). Mainly used in the 1960s and 1970s and still today in small aircraft. Generally superseded by three-point design.
===Three-point===
Similar to the lap and shoulder, but one single continuous length of webbing. Both three-point and lap-and-sash belts help spread out the energy of the moving body in a collision over the chest, pelvis, and shoulders. Until the 1980s three-point belts were commonly available only in the front seats of cars, the back seats having only lap belts. Evidence of the potential for lap belts to cause separation of the [[lumbar vertebrae]] and the sometimes associated [[paralysis]], or "seat belt syndrome", has led to a revision of passenger safety regulations in nearly all of the developed world requiring that all seats in a vehicle be equipped with three-point belts. Since [[September 1]], [[2007]], all new cars sold in the U.S. require a lap and shoulder belt in the center rear.<ref>[http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/Anton_FRNov16.html Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Occupant Crash Protection. Final Rule<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
[[Image:Harness.jpg||thumb|right|200px|'''Harness''']]
===Belt-in-Seat (BIS)===
The BIS is a three-point where the shoulder belt attachment is to the backrest, not to the b pillar <ref>[http://www.autoliv.com/alv/connect/Home/What+We+Do/Seatbelts/Belt-in-Seat Autoliv Inc - What we do - Seatbelts<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The first car using this system in the United States was the [[Mercedes-Benz R129|1990 Mercedes-Benz SL]]<ref>[http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434695 ''The first seat offered in the U.S. that incorporated a three-point belt—on the 1990 Mercedes-Benz SL—'']</ref>. Some cars like the [[Renault Vel Satis]] use this system for the front seats. This system allegedly is safer in case of rollover, especially with 4-8 years old children <ref>[http://www.khou.com/news/upclose/stories/khou030630_ds_UpCloseConsumerSafetybelts.44b60c63.html ''It's a seat belt praised in several internal GM memos obtained by the 11 News Defenders that say this different belt system "improves safety performance", "occupant retention", "rollover protection" and works "for all size occupants in all seat positions". This lap and shoulder belt system looks just like the old one, but for one obvious difference -- this lap and shoulder belt attaches not to the frame of the vehicle but to the seat.'']</ref>, though other sources dispute this claim <ref>[http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434695 ''Bob Lange, executive director of safety integration for General Motors Corp...concurred that such seats cost more to build but, interestingly, don't boost safety ratings. "We were hoping to record a <nowiki>[safety]</nowiki> performance improvement, but it didn't happen," Lange said. "We found we could provide the same level of protection with a body-mounted belt."'']</ref>
=== '''Experimental production car safety belts''' ===
*'''Criss-cross''' Experimental safety belt presented in the [[Volvo SCC]]. It forms a cross-brace across the chest.<ref>[http://www.volvocars.com/intl/All-Cars/conceptcars/Pages/default.aspx default - Concept Cars - Volvo Models - www.volvocars.com/intl<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* '''3+2 Point Seatbelt''': Experimental safety belt from [[Autoliv]] similar to the criss-cross. The 3+2 improves protection against rollovers and side impacts.<ref>[http://www.autoliv.com/alv/connect/Home/What+We+Do/New+Products/Night+Vision+System/3plus2+Point+Seatbelt ''3+2 Point Seatbelt and Side-Support Airbag'', from [[Autoliv]]]</ref>
* '''Four point''' ''"belt and suspenders"'': An experimental design from [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] where the "suspenders" are attached to the backrest, not to the frame of the car <ref>[http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=27434 ''FORD RESEARCHES POSSIBLE NEXT-GENERATION SAFETY BELT TECHNOLOGY'']</ref>
* '''Inflatable Safety Belts''': An airbag is included within the belt for the rear seat belts <ref>[Ibídem]</ref>.
===Five-point harnesses===
Safer but more restrictive than most other seat belt types. They are typically found in [[child safety seat]]s and in [[Automobile racing|racing]] cars. The lap portion is connected to a belt between the [[Human leg|leg]]s and there are two shoulder belts, making a total of five points of attachment to the seat. (Strictly speaking, harnesses are never to be fastened to the seat—they should be fastened to the frame/sub-frame of the automobile.)
===Six-point harnesses===
Similar to a five-point harness but includes an extra belt between the legs, which is seen by some to be a weaker point than the other parts. These belts are used mainly in racing. In NASCAR, the six-point harness became popular after the death of [[Dale Earnhardt]]. Earnhardt was wearing a five-point harness when he suffered his fatal crash. As it was first thought that his belt had broken, some teams ordered a six-point harness in response.<ref>TIME magazine article on issue about Earnhardt</ref>
===Seven-point harnesses (5+2)===
[[Aerobatic]] [[aircraft]] frequently use a combination harness consisting of a five-point harness with a redundant lap-belt attached to a different part of the airframe. While providing redundancy for negative-g maneuvers (which lift the pilot out of the seat), they also require the pilot to un-latch two harnesses if it is necessary to parachute from a failed aircraft.
== History ==
Seat belts were invented by [[George Cayley]] in the late 1800s.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} They were introduced in aircraft for the first time by [[Adolphe Pegoud]], who became the first man to fly a plane upside-down. However, seat belts did not become common on aircraft until the 1930s.
[[Edward J. Claghorn]] was granted {{US patent|312085}} on [[February 10]], [[1885]] for a safety belt <ref>{{cite book
|last=Andréasson|first=Rune|coauthors=Claes-Göran Bäckström|
|location=Stockholm|publisher=Kulturvårdskommittén Vattenfall AB|year=2000.
|title=The Seat Belt : Swedish Research and Development for Global Automotive Safety
|id=ISBN 91-630-9389-8|page=p. 12}}</ref>
American physicians in the 1920s advocated the use of seat belts in cars. Some of them even outfitted their cars with seatbelts. Plastic surgeon [[Claire L. Straith]] and physician C. J. Strickland were at the forefront of that demand. Strickland founded the ''Automobile Safety League of America''. The American public showed little interest. <ref>Andréasson (2000) p. 13</ref>
Engineer [[Hugh De Haven]] invented the inertia reel and created the concept of "wearing" the car and "packaging" passengers.
Safety belts were tested by [[John Stapp|Col John P. Stapp]], using a [[rocket sled]] and himself as the guinea pig, among others. His studies explained the phenomenon that most people injured or killed in plane crashes didn't die when the plane hit the ground, but when the person hit the inside of the plane.
Edward J. Hock invented the safety belt first used by the [[Ford Motor Company]] as standard equipment, while he was on active duty with the military as a flight instructor. In 1955 his idea was accepted by the naval authorities, and Hock was awarded $20.50 for his invention. The original schematic and [[blueprint]]s shows that he utilized scrap [[parachute]] strapping to implement his idea. He was never awarded anything other than the $20.50 award, a letter of recognition, a picture with military "brass", and a newspaper article to his credit.
The three point seat belt (the so-called ''CIR-Griswold restraint'') was patented in 1951 by the Americans Roger W. Griswold and Hugh De Haven. <ref>Andréasson (2000) pp. 15–16.</ref>
[[Saab]] was the first car manufacturer to introduce seat belts as standard in 1958.<ref>[http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2005/02/saab_innovation.html Saab Innovations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> After the [[Saab GT750|Saab GT 750]] was introduced at the New York motor show in 1958 with safety belts fitted as standard, the practice became commonplace.<ref>[http://www.trollhattansaab.net/page/5 Trollhattan Saab — Saab 9-1, 9-3, 9-4x, 9-5, 9-7x News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
[[Nils Bohlin]] of [[Sweden]] invented a particular kind of three point seat belt for [[Volvo]], who introduced it in 1959 as standard equipment. Bohlin was granted {{US patent|3,043,625}} for the device.
In 1955 [[Ford]] offered for the first time lap belts as an option <ref>[http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1955-1956-ford-fairlane-crown-victoria4.htm 1956 Crown Victoria]</ref>. In 1956, largely at the insistence of executive [[Robert McNamara]], seat belts were offered for consumer automobiles within the [[Lifeguard (Automobile safety)|''"Lifeguard"'']] safety package. <ref>"The Outsider: How Robert McNamara changed the automobile industry", American Heritage, Summer 2007, Volume 23, Issue 1, http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2007/1/2007_1_29.shtml </ref> The safety device was met with ridicule by others in the industry, but it caught on with the public. <ref>Ibid</ref> By 1964, Most U.S. automobiles were sold with standard front seat belts; rear seat belts were made standard in 1968.
In 1970, the state of [[Victoria, Australia]], passed the first law worldwide making seat belt wearing compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers.
The public service jingle, "Buckle Up for Safety", first heard in the 1960s, was taken from a song called "Buckle Down, Winsocki", from the 1943 musical, ''[[Best Foot Forward]]''.
== Technologies ==
[[Image:Intertial-reel.jpg|thumb|200px|Seat Belt uncovered Inertial Reel]]
Most seat belts are equipped with locking mechanisms (or inertia reels) that tighten the belt when pulled fast (e.g. by the quick force of a passenger's body during a crash) but do not tighten when pulled slowly. This is implemented with a centrifugal clutch, which engages as the reel spins quickly. Alternatively, this function may be secured by a weighted pendulum or ball bearing: when these are deflected by deceleration or roll-over they lock into pawls on the reel.
Types of inertia reel type seatbelts:
NLR ('''N'''o '''L'''ocking '''R'''etractor): Commonly used in recoiling lap belts
ELR V ('''E'''mergency '''L'''ocking '''R'''etractor - '''V'''ehicle sensitive): Single sensitive mechanism, composed of a locking mechanism activated in an emergency by deceleration or rollover of the vehicle. Thus, the seatbelt is sensitive to the vehicle's motion.
ELR VW ('''E'''mergency '''L'''ocking '''R'''etractor - '''V'''ehicle and '''W'''ebbing sensitive): Dual sensitive means a seatbelt retractor that, during normal driving conditions, allows freedom of movement by the wearer of the seatbelt by means of length-adjusting components that automatically adjust the strap to the wearer, with a locking mechanism that is activated by two or more of the following:
*deceleration or rollover of the '''v'''ehicle,
*acceleration of the strap ('''w'''ebbing) from the retractor, or
*other means of activation.
=== Pretensioners and webclamps ===
Seatbelts in many newer vehicles are also equipped with "pretensioners" and/or "Webclamps".
*Pretensioners preemptively tighten the belt to prevent the occupant from jerking forward in a crash. Mercedes-Benz first introduced pretensioners on the [[Mercedes-Benz W126|1981 S-Class]]. In the event of a crash, a pretensioner will tighten the belt almost instantaneously. This reduces the motion of the occupant in a violent crash. Like [[airbag]]s, pretensioners are triggered by sensors in the car's body, and most pretensioners use explosively expanding gas to drive a piston that retracts the belt. Pretensioners also lower the risk of "submarining", which is when a passenger slides forward under a loosely worn seat belt.
*Webclamps clamp the webbing in the event of an accident and limit the distance the webbing can spool out (caused by the unused webbing tightening on the central drum of the mechanism) these belts also often incorporate an energy management loop ("rip stitching") which is when the lower part of the webbing is looped and stitched with a special stitching. The function of this is to "rip" at a predetermined load, which reduces the load transmitted through the belt to the occupant, reducing injuries to the occupant.
===Automatic seat belts===
{{main|Automatic seat belt}}
Some vehicles have shoulder belts that automatically move forward to secure the passenger when the vehicle is started. A separate lap belt is usually included, and the lap belt must be fastened manually. Automatic seat belts have fallen out of favor recently, since the airbag became mandatory in many countries.
== Use of seat belts by child occupants ==
{{Main|Infant car seat}}
As with adult drivers and passengers, the advent of seat belts was accompanied by calls for their use by child occupants, including legislation requiring such use. It has been claimed that children in adult restraints suffer lower injury risk than unrestrained children.
The UK extended compulsory seatbelt wearing to child passengers under the age of 14 in 1989. It was observed that this measure was accompanied by a 10% ''increase'' in fatalities and a 12% ''increase'' in injuries among the target population<ref>Risk, by John Adams, UCL Press Ltd. University College, London 1995</ref>. In crashes, small children who wear adult seatbelts can suffer characteristic "seat-belt syndrome" injuries including severed intestines, ruptured diaphragms and spinal damage. There is also research suggesting that children in inappropriate restraints are at significantly increased risk of head injury<ref> The Danger of Premature Graduation to Seat Belts for Young Children, Winston FK, Durbin DR, Kallan MJ, Moll EK,, Pediatrics, Vol. 105, No. 6, June 2000, pp. 1179–1183.</ref>,
one of the authors of this research has been quoted as claiming that "The early graduation of kids into adult lap and shoulder belts is a leading cause of child-occupant injuries and deaths."<ref>"Kids at Risk: When Seatbelts are NOT Enough", by Karp H, ''Reader's Digest'' (US Edition), November 1999.</ref> As a result of such findings, many jurisdictions now advocate and/or require child passengers to use specially designed child restraints. Such systems include separate child-sized seats with their own restraints and booster cushions for children using adult restraints. In some jurisdictions children below a certain size are forbidden to travel in front car seats.
== Use of seat belts by expectant mothers ==
For pregnant mothers, the fetus is protected by a sac full of amniotic fluid. This sac is quite strong and the fluid inside acts like a cushion to protect the fetus. The sac is pliable so it can change shape to a certain degree. The proper use of a seat belt will divert the pressure points off the sac, and thus the fetus would only be minimally affected. The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvic bones and not against the soft stomach area. The shoulder belt should be worn across the chest. Both should be worn snugly.<ref>"How to protect the unborn baby", Oct 2007 http://www.childseatcenter.com/article12.html </ref>
== Use of seat belts in the rear seats ==
In 1955 (as a 1956 package) [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] offered lap only seat belts in the rear seats as an option within the [[Lifeguard (Automobile safety)|''Lifeguard'']] safety package. In 1967 Volvo started to install lap belts in the rear seats. In 1972 Volvo upgraded the rear seat belts to a three point belt.<ref>[http://www.volvocars.com/intl/corporation/Safety/Pages/SafetyFirst.aspx Volvocars corporate website]</ref>
It has been stated that in crashes, unbelted rear passengers increase nearly five fold the risk of death for belted front passengers.<ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11809187?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA ''Mortality of front-seat occupants attributable to unbelted rear-seat passengers in car crashes.'' ]</ref><ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/01/04/wbelt04.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/01/04/ixnewstop.html ''"Unbelted rear passengers 'biggest danger in crash"'']</ref>
== Reminder chime and light ==
[[Image:11 ceintures.jpg|200px|right]]
In North America and some other parts of the world, cars sold since the early 1970s have included a seat belt light on the dashboard, reminding the driver and passengers to buckle up. Originally, these lights were accompanied by a warning buzzer whenever the transmission was in any position except park if either the driver was not buckled up or, as determined by a pressure sensor in the passenger's seat, if there was a passenger there and he/she was not buckled up. However, this was considered by many to be a major annoyance, as the light would be on and the buzzer would sound continuously if front-seat passengers were not buckled up. Therefore, people who did not wish to buckle up would defeat this system by fastening the seatbelts with the seat empty and leave them that way.
By the mid-1970s, auto manufacturers modified the system so that a warning buzzer would sound for several seconds before turning off (with the warning light), regardless of whether the car was started. However, if the driver was buckled up, the light would appear, but with no buzzer. New cars sold in the United States in 1974 and the first part of the 1975 model year were sold with a special "ignition interlock", whereby the driver could not start the car until the seat belt was fastened; however, this system was short-lived. While this system debuted in passenger cars in 1972, it wasn't placed in pickup trucks until 1976.
By the early 1980s, many automakers selling in the U.S. market had replaced the buzzer (along with all other buzzers for functions such as headlights-on) with a seatbelt warning chime, though for some models, this change was not implemented until the 1990s or even the early 2000s. Today, many of these carmakers use a red figure with its seatbelt on to serve as its seatbelt warning light, and it may stay on for several minutes after the car is started if the driver's seat belt is not fastened.
In Europe most modern cars include a seat-belt reminder light for the driver and some also include a reminder for the passenger, when present, activated by a pressure sensor under the passenger seat. In some systems (i.e. older Volvos), the seatbelt is connected to the [[turn signal]] relay, making clicking sounds constantly until the front passengers are buckled up.
Some newer cars from [[Audi]], [[BMW]], [[Ford]], [[Honda]], [[Hyundai Motor Company|Hyundai]], [[Mercedes-Benz]], and [[Toyota]] will intermittently flash the reminder light and sound the chime until the driver (and sometimes the front passenger, if present) fasten their seatbelts.
== Legislation ==
{{main|Seat belt legislation}}
[[Observational studies]] of [[car crash]] morbidity and mortality,<ref name=nakahara>{{cite journal |author=Nakahara S, Ichikawa M, Wakai S |title=Seatbelt legislation in Japan: high risk driver mortality and seatbelt use |journal=Inj. Prev. |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=29–32 |year=2003 |pmid=12642555| doi = 10.1136/ip.9.1.29 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Allen S, Zhu S, Sauter C, Layde P, Hargarten S |title=A comprehensive statewide analysis of seatbelt non-use with injury and hospital admissions: new data, old problem |journal=Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=427–34 |year=2006 |pmid=16531597 |doi=10.1197/j.aem.2005.11.003}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Bourbeau R, Desjardins D, Maag U, Laberge-Nadeau C |title=Neck injuries among belted and unbelted occupants of the front seat of cars |journal=The Journal of trauma |volume=35 |issue=5 |pages=794–9 |year=1993 |pmid=8230348 |doi=}}</ref> [[experiment]]s using both [[crash test dummy|crash test dummies]] and human [[cadaver]]s indicate that wearing seat belts greatly reduces the risk of [[death]] and injury in the majority of car crashes.
This has led many countries to adopt mandatory seat belt wearing laws. It is generally accepted that, in comparing like-for-like accidents, a vehicle occupant not wearing a properly fitted seat belt has a significantly higher chance of death and serious injury. One large observation studying using US data showed that the [[odds ratio]] of crash death is 0.46 with a three-point belt, when compared with no belt.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bédard M, Guyatt GH, Stones MJ, Hirdes JP |title=The independent contribution of driver, crash, and vehicle characteristics to driver fatalities |journal=Accident; analysis and prevention |volume=34 |issue=6 |pages=717–27 |year=2002 |pmid=12371777| doi = 10.1016/S0001-4575(01)00072-0 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot-->}}</ref> In another study, that examined injuries presenting to the [[emergency room|ER]] pre- and post-seat belt law introduction, it was found that 40% more escaped injury and 35% more escaped mild and moderate injuries.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Thomas J |title=Road traffic accidents before and after seatbelt legislation--study in a district general hospital |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=79–81 |year=1990 |pmid=2319551 |doi=}}</ref>
The effects of seat belt laws are disputed by some, stemming from the observation that following the passage of seat belt laws, road fatalities often did not decrease. There was also concern that instead of legislating for a general protection standard for vehicle occupants, laws that required a particular technical approach would rapidly become dated as motor manufacturers would tool up for a particular standard which could not easily be changed. For example, in 1969 there were competing designs for lap and 3-point seat belts, rapidly-tilting seats, inflatable restraints and [[air bags]] being developed. But as countries started to mandate seat belt restraints the global auto industry invested in the tooling and standardized exclusively on seat belts, and ignored other designs, such as air bags, for several decades<ref>{{cite news | publisher = The Times | date = 1969-01024 | title = Safety Design | first = John | last = Fenton }}</ref>
===Risk compensation===
Some have proposed that the number of deaths was influenced by the development of [[risk compensation]], which says that drivers adjust their behaviour in response to the increased sense of personal safety wearing a seat belt provides.
In one trial subjects were asked to drive [[go-kart]]s around a track under various conditions. It was found that subjects who started driving unbelted drove consistently faster when subsequently belted.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Streff FM, Geller ES |title=An experimental test of risk compensation: between-subject versus within-subject analyses |journal=Accident; analysis and prevention |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=277–87 |year=1988 |pmid=3415759| doi = 10.1016/0001-4575(88)90055-3 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot-->}}</ref> Similarly, a study of habitual non-seatbelt wearers driving in freeway conditions found evidence that they had adapted to seatbelt use by adopting higher driving speeds and closer following distances.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Janssen W |title=Seat-belt wearing and driving behavior: an instrumented-vehicle study |journal=Accident; analysis and prevention |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=249–61 |year=1994 |pmid=8198694| doi = 10.1016/0001-4575(94)90095-7 <!--Retrieved from CrossRef by DOI bot-->}}</ref> Similar responses have been shown in respect of [[anti-lock braking system]] and, more recently, [[airbags]] and [[electronic stability control]].{{Fact|date=May 2007}}
A 2001 analysis of US crash data aimed to establish the effects of seatbelt legislation on driving fatalities<ref name=CohenLeinav>[http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/341.pdf 'The Effects of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws on Driving Behavior and Traffic Fatalities' by Alma Cohen and Liran Einav at Harvard Law School]</ref> and found that previous estimates of seatbelts effectiveness had been significantly overstated. According to the analysis used, seatbelts were claimed to have decreased fatalities by 1.35% for each 10% increase in seatbelt use. The study controlled for endogenous motivations of seat belt use, which it is claimed creates an artificial correlation between seat belt use and fatalities, leading to the conclusion that seatbelts cause fatalities. For example, drivers in high risk areas are more likely to use seat belts, and are more likely to be in accidents, creating a non-causal correlation between seatbelt use and mortality. After accounting for the endogeneity of seatbelt usage, Cohen and Einav found no evidence that the risk compensation effect makes seatbelt wearing drivers more dangerous, a finding at variance with other research.
===Increased traffic===
Other statistical analyses have included adjustments for factors such as increased traffic, and other factors such as age, and based on these adjustments, a reduction of morbidity and mortality due to seat belt use has been claimed.<ref name=nakahara/> However, [[Smeed's law]] predicts a fall in accident rate with increasing car ownership and has been demonstrated independently of seatbelt legislation.
== Use in vehicles other than cars ==
=== Buses ===
Pros <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3763306?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA The compelling case for seat belts on school buses.]</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11198463?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA ''Should there be laws mandating seatbelts in all school buses? Writing for the pro position.'']</ref> and cons <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3140273?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA ''Cost-benefit analysis of safety belts in Texas school buses.'']</ref> <ref>[http://www.safety-council.org/info/traffic/schbusbelt.htm ''Seat-belts in School Buses?'']</ref> <ref>[http://www.wxia.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=112334 ''Pros, Cons of School Bus Seatbelts'']</ref><ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11198464?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA ''Should there be laws mandating seatbelts in all school buses? Writing for the con position.'']</ref> had been alleged about the use of seatbelts in School Buses. See also [[School_bus#Seat_belts_in_school_buses|Seat belts in school buses]].
=== Trains ===
Use of seatbelts in trains has been investigated. Concerns about survival space intrusion in train crashes and increase of injuries to unrestrained or uncorrectly restrained passengers led the researches to discourage the use of seat belts in trains.
::''It has been shown that there is no net safety benefit for passengers who choose to wear 3-point restraints on passenger carrying rail vehicles. Generally passengers who choose not to wear restraints in a vehicle modified to accept 3-point restraints receive marginally more severe injuries.''<ref>[http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/RSSB_Seatbelts2007.pdf ''Assessment of three-point passenger restraints (seatbelts) fitted to seats on rail vehicles'' PDF, page 33]</ref>.
=== Airplanes ===
The "Father of Crash Survivability", [[Hugh De Haven]], was a plane pilot. His interest in crash survivability was sparked by him surviving a plane crash during the [[First World War]].
==See also==
* [[Automobile safety]]
* [[Baby transport]]
* [[Seat belt use rates in the USA]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
* [http://www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/cps/safetyBelts.html What You Need to Know if you have Have a Safety Belt Kid!]
==External links==
{{commonscat|Seat belts}}
* [http://www.SeatBeltCamera.com Municipal Seatbelt Enforcement Cameras]
* [http://www.autoliv.com.au/seatbelt.html Seatbelt Testing and Sled Slow Motion Video]
* [http://www.childseatcenter.com/article10.html US State Child Restraint Requirement]
* [http://www.childseatcenter.com/article11.html Canada Child Restraint Requirement]
* [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/seatb.html Seatbelt Physics]
* [http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-01/esv/esv19/05-0017-O.pdf Three-point seat belts on coaches - the first decade in Australia] Proceedings of 19th Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Washington 2005
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