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This work was performed to present briefly the results of recently published estimates of restraint system effectiveness for rear seats of passenger cars, and to contrast these estimates with earlier estimates of restraint system effectiveness for front seats. The estimates were obtained by applying the double pair comparison method to data in the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS). The average effectiveness of rear lap belt restraints was estimated as (18 ± 9)%, compared to (41 ± 4)% for front lap/shoulder restraints. While the results indicate that effectiveness for rear lap belts is lower than for front lap/shoulder belts, the rear seat estimate suggests that there is a 39 in 40 chance that rear seat restraints reduce fatality probability.