The mandatory seat belt law is among the most recent of a long list of highway and vehicle safety regulations aimed at reducing the risk of injury in motor vehicle accidents. In this article the effects of this law on seat belt use, on the number of accidents, and on the number of fatal and severe injuries on rural interstate highways in Ohio are evaluated. There is little doubt about the efficacy of seat belts in reducing the severity of injuries incurred in an automobile accident, but the policy implications of that fact are not obvious. The article concludes with a discussion of the questions that must be answered in order to support policy formulation and implementation.
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