This basically boils down to each countries laws.......
Quote:
Seat Belt and Child Safety Seat Use Outside the United States
Many other countries have seat belt use rates significantly higher than the United States. For example, use rates in Canada, Australia, and several Western European countries exceed 90 percent, while use rates in Great Britain exceed 80 percent. Seat belt use laws in these countries typically allow primary (standard) enforcement and also cover occupants of light trucks and vans in addition to automobiles. Fines for noncompliance are generally higher than in the United States, and some jurisdictions assess demerit points against driver's licenses for seat belt use law violations. In contrast, except for the District of Columbia, states in the U.S. do not assess penalty points for adult seat belt use violations.
In Europe, some countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) have laws that permit child passengers in the front seat provided they are in a child safety seat or seat belt. This approach is typical of state laws in the U.S. Other European countries (Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain) have child passenger safety laws that require children up to a specified age and weight to ride in the rear seat. However, some of these countries have exemptions to these laws that permit children to ride in front passenger seating positions provided they are in a child safety seat or seat belt. Foreign child passenger safety laws are often "nationwide" as opposed to state-by-state as they are in the U.S.
Belt use rates in Canada and the U.S. did not differ markedly until the mid-1980s, when Canadian provinces began implementing comprehensive special traffic enforcement programs (STEPs). These highly publicized enforcement efforts achieved belt use rates in the 80 percent range. When Canada decided to establish a national 95 percent seat belt use goal, provinces amended their laws to add driver license penalty points. With these penalty point provisions, seat belt use in Canada has risen to 92 percent for drivers and 90 percent for front seat passengers.
Again....common sense.....
Quote:
President Clinton's Directive
In his weekly radio address to the nation on December 28, 1996, President Clinton asked all Americans to always wear seat belts as a first line of defense against traffic injuries and fatalities and to always keep children, ages 12 and under, buckled in the back seat where they are safest. On January 23, 1997, the President directed the Secretary of Transportation to prepare a plan to increase the use of seat belts nationwide.
The President directed the Secretary to work with Congress, the states, and other concerned groups, including the automobile and insurance industries and safety and consumer groups, to develop the plan. He further directed that the plan address:
1. state laws that require the use of seat belts;
2. assistance from the Department of Transportation to improve these state laws; and
3. a comprehensive education campaign by the public and private sectors to help the public understand the need to wear seat belts.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as the lead agency in developing the plan, met with and solicited input from Members of Congress, other Federal agencies, the states, the private sector, including automobile manufacturers and insurers, and many other groups and organizations. The plan presented here is based on their advice and on a solid foundation of research and practical experience with strategies to increase seat belt use
I think the majority of US Citizens see the benefits of this law....
Quote:
America must set ambitious seat belt and child safety seat use goals. We have an unprecedented opportunity to save lives, prevent injuries, reduce health care and other costs, and improve the lives of all Americans — simply by increasing proper seat belt and child safety seat use. But to do this, we must be bold and reach beyond "business as usual." Bold goals will require commitment and cooperation from everyone living in the United States. America can do it.
* Increase national seat belt use to 85% by 2000 and 90% by 2005 (from 68% in 1996)
* Reduce child occupant fatalities (0-4 years) by 15% in 2000 and by 25% in 2005 (from a total of 685 in 1995)
Reaching these goals would result in significant reductions in deaths, injuries, and their economic costs to society. Increasing the seat belt use rate from the current 68 percent (1996) to 85 percent would prevent an estimated 4,194 fatalities and 102,518 injuries annually. This reduction in injuries and deaths would result in an economic savings of approximately $6.7 billion annually (1996 dollars). Increasing the seat belt use rate from the current 68 percent to 90 percent would prevent an estimated 5,536 fatalities and 132,670 injuries annually, and would save $8.8 billion annually
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...elt/index.html
I rest my case... ;)
