The fitting and wearing of seat belts has had a major influence on the safety of vehicle occupants in Australia. The Australian Design Rule programme ensures that seat belts are fitted to new motor vehicles (except buses). Almost all cars on the road are fitted with seat belts for the front outboard seating positions, but rear seats have lower fitting rates. At least nine out of every ten car occupants have a seat belt available for their use and very high wearing rates are now observed. Recently legislation to increase protection of children in cars has been enacted in some States.

Occupant restraint in motor vehicles is discussed in terms of availability of seat belts, wearing of seat belts, effectiveness of television publicity in improving correctness of wearing, effects of enforcement on wearing, effects of wearing seat belts on casualties, use of restraints by children and effectiveness of child restraint legislation.