Læknablaðið - 15.03.1980, Page 48

68
LÆKNABLADID
countries it is argued that seat belt legislation
is an infringement of personal liberty. I find
this a difficult argument to follow because
although perhaps the unrestrained driver, in a
modern permissive world may voluntarily run
the risk of self destruction, 1 do not think he
should be allowed to risk the lives and health
of other road users, which he may well do
should he be dislodged from the controls of
his vehicle after an impact. Nor do I see why
he should be encouraged to occupy a much
needed hospital bed through personal disre-
gard to both his own safety and that of others.
The problem of alcohol and driving is world
wide and the problems of drug taking, with or
without alcohol, is important in some areas.
The introduction of maximum blood alcohol
levels to be permitted within the law does not
always have the anticipated effect upon acci-
dents, especially in the long term.
Regular and thorough checks on the road
worthiness of a vehicle and its tyres is
important. One only has to visit countries
where regulations are either lax or do not
exist to observe the damage that can be done
by improperly maintained vehicles.
The lowering of the mortality and morbidity
upon the roads is also influenced by the
special services available for dealing with
casualties. The recent conference in Oslo in
First Aid at the Scene of an Accident high-
lighted how deaths and permanent disability
may be prevented or reduced by on the spot
treatment by lay and trained personell.
The investigation of road traffic accidents is
a multi-disciplined exercise. Today I have tried
to show briefly how one of these disciplines
functions.
I thank you again for according me the
honour of delivering the 1979 Niels Dungal
lecture.
REFERENCES
(1) Herner, B., Smedley, B„ Ysander, L. — British J. industr. Med. 23-37-1966
(II) Voigt, J. — Proceedings lllrd IAATM Conf. -71-1969
(III) Fisher, R. S., Lindberg R., — J. For. Sci. 2- 241-1951
(IV) Di Maio, D. J., Proceedings lllrd IAATM Conf. 75- 1969
(V) Peterson, P.J., Petty C.S., — J. For. Sci. 7- 274-1962
(VI) Baker, S.P., Spitz W.V. — N. Eng. J. Med. 283-405-1970
(VII) Mant, A.K. — Natural Death whilst in charge of Transportation ch. 7 — Legal Medicine Annual 1977. Ed. Cyril H Wecht, Appleton-Century- Crofts — New York 1977
(VIII) Mant, A.K. — Injuries and Death in Motor Vehicle Accidents — ch. 1 — The Pathology of Violent Injury — Ed. J. K. Mason — Edward Arnold — London 1978
(IX) Proceedings of the 6th International Confe- rence of the IAATM Melbourne 1977.
Félag íslenskra lækna í Norður Ameríku
Þann 27. okt. 1979 var stofnað Félag íslenzkra
lækna í Norður Ameríku, í White Plains N. Y.
Fyrstu stjórn skipa: Kristján Erlendsson for-
maður, Högni Óskarsson ritari og Magni
Jónsson gjaldkeri.
Megin tilgangur félagsins er að stuðla að
auknum tengslum íslenzkra lækna í N. A., vera
fulltrúi í sérmálum peirra og veita upplýsingar
og aðstoð peim, sem hug hafa á framhalds-
námi par í landi.