“Immense Value” Of Safety Belts

Press, Volume C, Issue 29524, 27 May 1961, Page 12

“Immense Value” Of Safety Belts

(Neu> Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 26. "The idea that anyone can hit an overbridge pier at 50 miles an hour or engage in a head-on collision and step out of his car unscathed simply because he is wearing a safety belt is of course absurd but safety belts can be of immense good in saving life and lessening injury. We are strongly in favour of these belts.” The Commissioner of Transport <Mr A. E. Forsyth) said this today. He was commenting on publicity given extracts of an American article which condemned safety belts and gave cases where, either in dummy tests or in actual accidents, the belts had fallen short of what was claimed for them. "This condemnation is couched in rather extreme terms—‘head-on crash.’ ‘passenger thrown forward and strikes his head with terrific force’,” said Mr Forsyth. “Nothing probably will save those inside a car which smashes into something solid at 80 miles an hour but a safety belt will reduce danger to life and body at normal speeds.

"Belts are of particular safety value in preventing people from being flung out of cars, and in lessening injuries where the driver or passengers remain in the vehicle but are thrown about inside it.”

Mr Forsyth said it was quite true that the lap belt was not as effective as the full shoulder harness, but one had to be realistic. “If people will agree to being strapped back like a military jet pilot or fitted out with an astronaut’s couch harness, no doubt that would be still more effective, but the plain fact is they won’t. “An examination of the inquest proceedings after fatalities to 100 drivers and passengers in cars in New Zealand has indicated that had all those 100 victims been wearing belts. 27 would not hav£ died. In several of these cases the deaths were solely of those who were thrown out.”