Occupant protection as a priority in national efforts to promote health.

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 34 and cost our nation almost 57 billion dollars a year. Fortunately, many of the fatalities and serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents are preventable through proper and consistent safety belt and child safety seat use. Surprisingly, 80% to 90% of Americans rarely use safety belts, clearly making this one of the most significant public health problems. Increasing awareness of the importance of, and potential solution for this problem has led to integrating issues about motor vehicle trauma prevention into today's public health agenda. Efforts by federal health agencies are beginning to impact motor vehicle trauma reduction, but the involvement of public health workers at all levels is necessary for success.