§ 79. Sir Philip Goodhartasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reports his Department has had from hospitals about the decline in injuries following the compulsory wearing of seat belts.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergNone directly, though I understand that a number of accident and emergency consultants have commented on an apparent reduction in the number of seriously injured road accident victims coming to their departments since the wearing of seat belts became compulsory.
Fifteen major accident departments in the United Kingdom are taking part in a two-year evaluation, sponsored by the health departments, of the effect of compulsory seat belt wearing on injuries to car occupants. First results will not be available until the spring of 1984 at the earliest.