Vechile-occupant fatalities after legislation for compulsory wearing of seat belts in Australia: different trends between the sexes.

The protective value of legislation for compulsory wearing of seat belts has been supported by Australian and overseas experience. An evaluation of changes during the period from 1957 to 1977 in the incidence of road crash fatalities for male and female vehicle occupants in Victoria and the rest of Australia (that is, in Australia minus Victoria) is presented. Reduction in the number of fatalities and the fatality rate in the number of fatalities per 10,000 vehicles) for vehicle occupants has resulted largely from statistically significant decreases for male drivers and adult passengers, especially females. However, the fatality rates have remained within the 95% confidence limits of expected post-legislation values for female drivers in Victoria and the rest of Australia, and for male adult passengers in the rest of Australia. There has been virtually no reduction in road crash fatalities for passengers less than 17 years of age. Hypotheses are advanced to explain these findings and further countermeasures are suggested.