John D. States

John Dunham States (16 June 1925 – 26 March 2015) was an American orthopedic surgeon who dedicated his career to improving automotive safety. He was a graduate of the University of Rochester and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. States held a patent for an improved seat belt latch.

Early life Born in Rochester, New York, States was a precocious engineer in his youth. He had built toy cars at the age of six. By the time he reached high school he had driven a vehicle he had made.

In 1970, he developed an improved shoulder harness to restrain the upper body and prevent injuries that occur when the automobile occupant is thrown into the dashboard or windshield during a crash.

States drafted the New York State seat belt law in 1983, the first such law in the U.S. Since then similar laws have been adopted in 49 states. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration credits these laws with dramatically increasing seat belt use and decreasing injuries and fatalities from traffic crashes.

Recognition States received the Distinguished Career Award from the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section of the American Public Health Association in 2000. He was awarded the Excalibur Award from the National Motor Vehicle Safety Advisory Council. His work on public safety was cited by New York Governor Mario Cuomo. He was dubbed "Dr. Seatbelt" for his advocacy of the safety feature. During TWIV 1172 of This Week in Virology on December 7, 2024, with his son, David, speculation arose — whether in contemporary USA society — advocacy such as that States used to implement the passage of legislation for automobile safety, might be successful with legislators.

Personal States married Sally Johnson in 1952. They had two daughters and two sons.