With seat belts now a delete option on all U.S.-built cars-they are included as standard equipment unless the purchaser requests that they be deleted-it is interesting to speculate on just how much use the belts will actually get.

Obviously, an unused seat belt is worthless. It accomplishes nothing except to take up space on the front seat and get in the driver's way. And while it has been proven beyond a doubt that the use of seat belts does save lives, there are literally hundreds of thousands of drivers-- including many fleet men-who do not or will not use seat belts.

I fervently hope that every fleet in the country orders all of its cars with seat belts. It is incomprehensible to me that a fleet operator would actually request that seat belts be deleted from a car. The savings would be minute and would be wiped out with one serious accident.

As noted, if seat belts are to be effective, they must be used. Fleet operators can promote the use of belts through driver education programs. A grim but effective way to encourage the use of seat belts is the "blood and guts" approach. Put up a picture of an accident with lots of blood and emphasize that it would have been difficult if seat belts had been used. Education can also be used to negate the fear of being trapped by belts in an accident. Researchers have found that fear of entrapment is one of the major reasons why drivers don't use seat belts, yet the fear is almost groundless. Organizations such as the National Safety Council have designed programs to promote the use of seat belts. They are available to all fleet operators.

A recent study by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles may give a clue as to how drivers will react to factory-installed seat belts. The department conducted 104 interviews in Wisconsin, the first state to require the installation of belts, in an effort to find out the acceptance of seat belts and the main reasons for resistance whenever resistance was encountered.

Although only 15 per cent of the responders in the Wisconsin study claimed full use of seat belts, less than 10 per cent said they were actively opposed to the belts. Approximately 75 per cent of the respondents indicated a more or less passive attitude to belts, ranging from. "They're there because they came with the car" to "When I go for a long distance, then I put them on but if it's only a little distance I don't," While most of the Wisconsin people claimed some use of the belts few said they would have voluntarily installed the belts.

Resistance to belts was caused by annoyance, confinement and fear of entrapment. Also prevalent was the attitude that "it can't happen to me."

Fleet operators must develop strong habit patterns among their drivers to get them to use seat belts. This is especially true among new drivers. By constantly hammering home the point that seat belts do save lives, fleet operators will be doing their part in promoting highway safety--and reducing the cost of accidents.