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Citation |
Blows S, Ivers RQ, Connor J, Ameratunga SN, Ameratunga M, Norton R. Traffic Injury Prev. 2005; 6(2): 117-119. |
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Affiliation |
The George Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. sblows@thegeorgeinstitute.org |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
16019396 |
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Abstract |
OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between seatbelt non-use at the time of a crash, habitual non-use of seatbelts, and car crash injury; and to calculate the population attributable risk for car crash injury due to seatbelt non-use. METHODS: A population-based case control, interview study in Auckland, New Zealand, with 571 injured or killed drivers as cases and 588 population-based controls randomly selected from the driving population. RESULTS: Unbelted drivers had 10 times the risk of involvement in an injury crash compared to belted drivers after adjustment for multiple confounders. Habitual non-users were likely to be unbelted when involved in a crash. The population attributable risk for seatbelt non-use was 13%. CONCLUSIONS: Non-use of seatbelts is very strongly associated with increased injury crash involvement. Even where seatbelt use rates are higher than 90%, there remains a small group of habitual non-users who are at high risk; these drivers may benefit from targeted interventions. |