Editing Seat belt (section)

==Effectiveness==
[[File:Lives Saved by Safety Belts and Air Bags, NHTSA, DOT.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Lives saved by seat belts and airbags in the United States, 1991–2001]]

An analysis conducted in the United States in 1984 compared a variety of seat belt types alone and in combination with [[Airbag|air bags]].<ref name=":0">{{cite report |publisher= National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Plans and Programs, Office of Planning and Analysis |url= http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/806572.pdf |date =11 July 1984 |title= Passenger Car Front Seat Occupant Protection |access-date= 2016-02-14 |page= IV-2}}</ref> The range of fatality reduction for front seat passengers was broad, from 20% to 55%, as was the range of major injury, from 25% to 60%.<ref name=":0" /> More recently, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] has summarized these data by stating "seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half."<ref>{{cite web |title= Seat Belts: Get the Facts |url= https://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/facts.html |work=Motor Vehicle Safety |access-date= 2016-02-15 |publisher= Centers for Disease Control |date= 20 August 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160221213309/http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/facts.html |archive-date = 21 February 2016 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Most  malfunctions are a result of there being too much slack in the seat belt at the time of the accident.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://tragoslaw.com/clearwater-car-accident-lawyer/injuries/ |title=Clearwater Car Accident Injuries {{!}} Whiplash Injuries |newspaper=Clearwater Injury Lawyer |access-date=2016-11-02 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161104005312/http://tragoslaw.com/clearwater-car-accident-lawyer/injuries/ |archive-date=2016-11-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=October 2020}}

It has been suggested that although seat belt usage reduces the probability of death in any given accident, mandatory seat belt laws have little or no effect on the overall number of traffic fatalities because seat belt usage also disincentivizes safe driving behaviors, thereby increasing the total number of accidents. This idea, known as compensating-behavior theory, is not supported by the evidence.<ref name=CohenLeinav>{{Cite journal |journal=SSRN |last1=Cohen |first1=Alma |last2=Einav |first2=Liran |date=2001-12-10 |title=The Effects of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws on Driving Behavior and Traffic Fatalities |location=Rochester, NY |doi=10.2139/ssrn.293582 |ssrn=293582 |s2cid=152488364 |url=http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/341.pdf |access-date=2011-02-02}}</ref>

In case of [[vehicle rollover]] in a U.S. passenger car or SUV, from 1994 to 2004, wearing a seat belt reduced the risk of fatalities or incapacitating injuries and increased the probability of no injury:
* In case of [[vehicle rollover]] in a U.S. passenger car, there are {{#expr:852/119299*100 round 2}}% fatalities in 1994 and {{#expr:949/108748*100 round 2}}% in 2014 when user is restrained.<ref name="DOTHS810741">DOT HS 810 741
4. Title and Subtitle
5. Report Date
An Analysis of Motor Vehicle Rollover Crashes and March 2007
Injury outcomes</ref> There are {{#expr:2972/43552*100 round 0}}% fatalities in 1994 and {{#expr:2487/19698*100 round 0}}% in 2014 when the user is unrestrained.<ref name="DOTHS810741" />
* In case of vehicle rollover, there are {{#expr:12373/119299*100 round 0}}% incapacitating injury in 1994 and {{#expr:10593/108748*100 round 0}}% in 2014 when the user is restrained. There are {{#expr:13758/43552*100 round 0}}% incapacitating injury in 1994 and {{#expr:4888/19698*100 round 0}}% in 2014 when user is unrestrained.<ref name="DOTHS810741" />
* The probability of no injury is {{#expr:53938/119299*100 round 0}}% in 1994 and {{#expr:48093/108748*100 round 0}}% in 2014 when the user is restrained. There were {{#expr:8186/43552*100 round 0}}% no injury in 1994 and {{#expr:2974/19698*100 round 0}}% in 2014 when the user is unrestrained.

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