The rate of seat belt use and its related factors among car drivers in Tehran, Iran after imposing new regulations

Abstract

The incidence of road crash deaths is high in Iran. Seat belts can reduce the risk of death or serious injury. This study aimed to estimate the rate of seat belt use and its related factors for car drivers in Tehran, Iran after proclamation of the 2011 legislation. A roadside observational study was conducted in 2012 and 10,752 cars and taxis commuting in different streets of Tehran were screened in regard to drivers' seat belt wearing. Other variables including gender, age range, type of street, district, time of day and day of week were also collected. The rate of seat belt use was 70.9%, and was significantly higher in females, elders and on freeways and significantly less in afternoon hours, side streets and in taxi drivers. The rate of seat belt use in Tehran (a representative of Iran) is still low despite the implementation of new legislations. More initiatives are needed to increase this rate especially in certain groups and areas.

Seat Belt Usage in Injured Car Occupants: Injury Patterns, Severity and Outcome After Two Main Car Accident Mechanisms in Kashan, Iran, 2012

“…In our study, we investigated the rate of seat belt usage in traumatically injured car occupants and concluded that 68% of them used this safety device. Seat belt enforcement by police and law fines could lead to increase the use of seat belts in our study and Nabipour et al with 70.9% ( 14 ) compared with Borghebani et al study that 53% of drivers were fasten seat belts at 2009 ( 12 ). Similar to Abu-Zidan et al study ( 8 ) the unbelted patients were significantly younger than the belted ones.…”

“…Women, regardless of their occupant position, used seat belts significantly more than men in our study. Nabipour et al study in Iran 2013 reports the rate of the seat belt usage was significantly higher in female drivers ( 14 ). Afukaar et al study in Ghana 2010 ( 16 ), Ipingbemi et al study in Nigeria 2012 ( 6 ) and Ma et al study in Russia 2012 ( 17 ) also report this finding in female drivers.…”

“…Soori et al reported considerable increase in car production volume from 6949381 in 2004 to 9945140 in 2007 ( 13 ). This jump in car production (which do not usually comply with modern safety standards) without significant road structure improvement has been associated with increased car-related RTA frequencies ( 14 ). This study was designed to compare the complications of RTAs in belted and unbelted car occupants referred to a level II hospital in the central part of Iran.…”

Seatbelt Use and Related Factors Among Drivers Involved in Road Crashes in Southeast Iran

“…A study in Tehran (capital city of Iran) reported a seatbelt wearing rate of 70.9% among car drivers (27). However, this rate was reported to be 90% for all Iranian drivers in 2010 (1).…”

Seat belt use among car drivers in Iranian safe communities: An observational study

“…As a medium-income country, Iran has a high RTC injury and mortality rate (Bendak, 2005, Kononen et al, 2011. In 2010 RTCs accounted for a total of 414,161 injuries and 23,249 fatalities in Iran (Bahadorimonfared et al, 2013). This translates into a rate of 34.1 per 100,000 people, which is the fourth highest rate in the world, after the Dominican Republic (41.7/100,000), Thailand (38.1/100,000) and Venezuela (37.2/100,000).…”