HC Deb 01 December 1977 vol 940 c309W
Mr. John More

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report of evidence on the basis of which he stated, Official Report, 21st November, column 500, that 1,000 people each year between 1972 and 1976 and 500 in the first six months of 1977 would not have lost their lives if they had been wearing seat belts.

Mr. Horam

Estimates of deaths and serious injuries which could be avoided if seat belts available for front seat occupants of cars and light vans were used, are based on:

  1. (a) Estimates of the efficacy of seat belts in reducing or eliminating injury, and
  2. (b) Estimates of the numbers of casualties, who had a seat belt available, but who were not wearing it at the time of the accident.

The HMSO publication "Road Accidents Great Britain 1975" contains an article describing the method used to produce the estimates of savings—paragraphs 40–43 of the review section. A copy of this publication is held in the Library.