Head restraint and seat belt use by car drivers in Lebanon

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Saab, Basem‐Roberto^; | Usta, Jinan | Hamadeh, Ghassan

Affiliations: Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113‐6044, Beirut, Lebanon

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +961 3 771 889; Fax: +961 1 744 464; E‐mail: brsaab@ aub.edu.lb.

Abstract: Aim: To determine the prevalence of seat belt (SB) use and proper headrest (HR) position by car drivers in Lebanon. Methods: After adequate training of ten volunteers, the mean of visual reliability of the position of the HR in relation to the driver’s head, compared to a slide ruler, were 89% and 97% for the horizontal and vertical positions, respectively. The first six cars dropping at eight four‐way busy intersections in 5 Mohafazats (states) were observed for the position of the HR and use of SB. Results: Two thousand one hundred and five car drivers were observed. Only 9.4% of the drivers observed use the SB. Only 32% of the drivers had the HR adequately adjusted in both planes. Characteristics of the population using the SB and HR correctly are presented. Conclusions: HR and SB are underutilized by drivers in Lebanon. Actions to improve the proper use of these safety devices are needed.

Journal: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 9-13, 2000