§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated annual saving to the National Health Service resulting from the compulsory wearing of seat belts in each year from 1983 to the latest available date.
§ Mr. WhitneyIt is not yet clear whether the introduction of compulsory seat belts will actually reduce the costs to the National Health Service of treating road accident victims. There are undoubtedly savings where the wearing of seat belts has lessened injuries, but conversely NHS costs are increased where patients who would previously have died before reaching hospital survive to require—often prolonged—treatment. Some types of injury to the neck and thorax, which involve longer treatment, have become commoner.
In 1983, the first full year after the legislation took effect, the cost to the National Health Service of treating road accident victims was £108 million, £2 million higher than the previous year. 1984 figures are not yet available.