Highway Safety: Safety Belt Use Laws Save Lives and Reduce Costs to Society
RCED-92-106
Published: May 15, 1992. Publicly Released: May 15, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated studies on safety belt laws, focusing on: (1) safety belts' effectiveness in reducing fatalities and severe injuries; (2) the effectiveness of safety belt mandatory use laws; and (3) the societal costs incurred when people who do not wear safety belts are involved in accidents.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | As part of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) report required by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, the Secretary of Transportation should include a discussion of the ways that state mandatory safety belt use laws can be strengthened and other issues relating to the act's grant and penalty provisions discussed in this report. Specifically, the report should discuss whether state laws should cover all vehicle occupants, including those in pickup trucks, vans, and rear seats, and have certain basic provisions, including fines, to facilitate enforcement. Other issues relating to the implementation of the 1991 act, including criteria for the grants, safety belt use data, and related concerns, are presented in this chapter. Useful information on each issue would include what actions DOT and the states have completed, what DOT and the states plan to do, and what legislation might be helpful for encouraging states to further increase safety belt use. |
Closed – Implemented
DOT found the results of the study consistent with its work and concurred in part with the recommendation. DOT is not opposed to providing the recommended information, but maintains that such information would be most appropriate outside the specific report suggested. DOT has issued rules addressing the other issues included in the recommendation. The rules include: (1) criteria for state measurement of safety belt use; and (2) criteria to determine whether state compliance is sufficient to avoid the financial penalties provided by the law.
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