The New York state safety belt use law: A political success story for AAAM, traffic safety and organized medicine

This article provides a brief overview to the events leading up to enactment of New York's safety belt use law on July 12, 1984. For the American Association for Automotive Medicine (AAAM) it was the culmination of many years of effort. It is expected that many other states will follow New York's leadership. Financial support of the New York Coalition for Safety Belt Use has been limited. Current efforts are now underway to implement the law and set up evaluation programs to determine its effectiveness.