Citation

Andreasson R. J. Traffic Med. 1977; 5(1): 21-23.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1977, International Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has issued rules for medical exemptions from seat-belt obligation. During the first months the mandatory-seat belt-use law was in force, January to June 1975, medical exemptions were possible only for physical reasons. During this period no physical-exemption certificates were registered. The author has, however, studied the situation, and the result of this study is that probably somewhat over 1000 certificates were issued between January and June 1975. Since July 1975 a new regulation on medical exemptions from seat belt obligation has been in force. This regulation authorizes seat-belt exemptions on mental grounds as well. From that time copies of doctors' certificates pertaining to both physical and mental handicaps were to be sent to the County Medical Officer. From July 1975 to September 1976 (14 months) 189 certificates were issued; 146 for physical reasons, 30 for psychiatric reasons, and 5 for combined physical and psychiatric reasons. Eight cases were never followed through. The number of exemption certificates issued between January 1975 and September 1976 is probably somewhat over 1300; only 30 for psychiatric reasons. (Sweden's population is approximately 8 million, and the number of passenger cars registered in Sweden is about 2 1/2 million). The reasons for exemptions for psychiatric reasons are almost solely claustrophobia. Experience has shown, however, that in many cases even a mentally disturbed person can be persuaded to use a seat belt if given suitable information. Commonest among physical reasons for exemptions are impaired mobility due to stiffness of back or neck, hip arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, colostomy, thoracoplasty, and multiple sclerosis. In some cases, heart disease is the reason for exemption, and in a couple of cases, pacemaker wearers have been freed from the obligation to use the seat belt.