Medical significance of occupant restraint on road-crash victims and the role of the medical profession.

Compulsory use of seat belts has been the single most important measure in reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the road. Seat belts are most effective in reducing head and facial injuries in frontal impacts, but less so with side collisions and roll-overs. There should be no medical exemptions to the wearing of seat belts. There is little evidence that seat belts, if properly worn, cause serious injury. The reduction in road deaths and injuries applies only to car occupants: the number of deaths in motorcyclists closely parallels the number of motorcycles in use. Likewise, the pedestrian death rate remains unchanged.