Nationwide seat belt usage trends and demographic compliance patterns

¶ … Seat Belt Usage

Field Work

Timeline and Budget

The focus of this research proposal is to examine and analyze seat belt usage by examining demographic and geographic information to determine if seat belt usage has increased nationwide and if so, what effect this has had on traffic accidents and fatalities.

Research will be obtained from other studies that have collected data from observation and surveys. Fieldwork studies will also be included. The majority of information will be taken from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Center for Statistics and Analysis Center, (NCSAC), National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Controlled studies have been conducted on a large-scale basis and would be hard to recreate. This paper will rely on comprehensive studies that have been conducted nationwide.

The primary objectives of the data gathering throughout the course of the study will be to obtain information that can:

Determine if seat belts indeed save lives

If there are correlations in some of the demographic data as to seat belt usages

How successful law enforcement has been in increasing seat belt usage

To date, these studies indicate that there has been an increase in seat belt usage. This paper will review and summarize current available data to determine if the hypotheses proposed by this paper have been proven.

Introduction

Problem Statement

According to information from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis Center, only 75% of drivers nationwide use seat belts (NCSAC, 2002). Although this shows an increase over usage in the 1990s, there is still a significant problem in reaching full compliance from drivers nationwide.

One problem that may be a contributing factor to this is the fact that state seat belt laws vary and primary enforcement can also vary from state to state.

Purpose of Research

To examine the use of seat belts nationwide and determine if usage has increased; if enforcement efforts have had any effect and what are the results of increased usage. The paper will also focus on significant factors that affect the use or non-use of seat belts.

Although research indicates there has been an increase in seat belt usage, there is still a significant amount of non-compliance, among certain states and demographic (age, race, gender) groups.

Unit of Analysis and Variables

This paper will examine other research and field data that has been collected by state and national agencies on a controlled basis. This will include surveys, interstate observations and demographic classifications. Some of the studies use a probability sample to account for the expected error rate of direct observation of roadways. All of the research information that will be used has incorporated estimate adjustments for sampling errors.

The paper will document data collected by the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Controlled Intersection Study of NOPUS used a sample obtained from stopping and slowing traffic to permit detailed observation of seat belt usage and demographic characteristics.

The variables that will be included in this research are:

Age

Gender

Race

Geographic location

Vehicle type

Research Objectives

The primary objective of this research paper is to determine what factors affect the use of seat belts and to determine if there is a profile of drives who are non-compliant. The paper will also examine if there are any major findings by age, gender, race, geographic location, or vehicle type.

Additionally, the paper will compare results from different years to determine if there has been any significant increase in usage and if so, why. There may be a correlation between race, gender or age and results will be provided to support any of these hypotheses.

Literature Review

The purpose of this literature research and review is to investigate the work done by previous researchers on the issue of seat belt usage. My objective is to find current and relevant information on seat belt usage and determine if usage has increased; if enforcement efforts have had any effect and what are the results of increased usage.

The research will attempt to support previous works that indicate that seat belt usage has contributed to saving lives in traffic accidents. Several large organizations have studied this problem and there is ample significant research to choose from.

The majority of research information for this paper will come from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis Center (NCSAC), National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

According to data gathered by the NHTSA, so crash every 14 someone in America is injured in a traffic accident every 14 seconds, and every twelve minutes someone is killed. The single and most effective protection against death and serious injury in a car crash is a seat belt. Although73% of people say they are full time seat belt users, 10% acknowledge that they did not use their seat belts on at least one occasion during the week (NHSTA, 2002).

According the NHTSA research, most accidents happen within 25 miles of home and more than 40,000 people die on our nation's highways each year and many more are seriously injured (NHSTA, 2002).

The USDOT conducted a study in 2002 that showed that seat belt usage had reached 75% and the primary states had reached a milestone of 80% seat belt usage. The study also indicated that belt usage had increased in the Northeast and particularly in vans and SUVs (USDOT, 2002).

Data from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) demonstrates that if all the states had tough primary seat belt laws, then an additional 2,000 lives would be saved every year, in addition to the 12,000 lives that would be saved each year with no changes on the existing seat belt laws. It also showed that belt usage is generally lower on interstates because of the greater likelihood of short-trip takers (NCSA, 2002).

All of the data indicates that seal belt usage has a direct correlation to saving lives in traffic accidents.

Research Methodology

Research Design

My research for this paper will be in the form of a comprehensive review and an examination of the existing field and survey studies that have been conducted by government organizations, as well as other literature on the subject of seat belt usage. Information for this paper will be gathered, analyzed and presented based on relevance and criteria included in the studies. Criteria will be established for gathering demographic data from and general background information from various studies.

Data Collection

The primary objectives of the data gathering throughout the course of the study will be to obtain information that can:

Determine if seat belts indeed save lives

If there are correlations in some of the demographic data as to seat belt usages

How successful law enforcement has been in increasing seat belt usage

It will also be important to identify any particular differences that may exist as far as some of the demographics to determine if any age, gender, or race shows significant use of seat belts and if so, what conclusions can be drawn from that. In other words, are there any particular demographic differences that may impact the use of seat belts?

It will also be imperative to have an understanding of the Prince George's County School System and any significant changes or plans that have taken place in the system during the past five years.

Sample Design

The sample design will be determined by the criteria that are defined in existing studies. The majority of government studies are nationwide and several of them include actual fieldwork on interstate highways.

The studies that will be selected and included in this paper will be chosen based on the relevance and timeliness of the data that is included. More recent data will be a primary source for information.

Fieldwork

As noted, the majority of studies include fieldwork on national state highways and traffic intersections. Data interpretation is presented as to the use of seat belts in passenger cars. The data was gathered through actual observations made at intersections with traffic lights. Other studies include actual interviews with passengers and drivers about seat belt usage and the results were prepared into written reports.

Data Analysis

The researchers who conducted the studies have predetermined data analysis. The variables and method of analysis are preset for these studies. For the purposes of this paper, all of the resulting information provided by these studies will be reviewed and the most comprehensive and conclusive will be included.

Limitation of the Research

The major limitation of this research is that it is not primary or first hand data. However, these secondary sources are comprehensive and have been conducted on a large-scale basis providing extensive research. The resulting evaluations and reports provide a significant amount of data.

Appendices

The following are representative samples of data/information that will support the hypotheses presented in this paper. They are not complete documents but portions of studies, data, etc.

Safety Belt Use in 2002 - Demographic Characteristics

Donna Glassbrenner

Safety belt use among African-Americans rose to 77%, a sizable 8-point gain over their use two years ago. More than a quarter of Blacks who were not using belts in 2000 used them in 2002. These results are from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which is the only probability-based observational survey of safety belt use in the United States. The survey also found:

The belt gender gap appears to be narrowing. Males registered a 5-point gain, which reduced the gap from 10 to 7 points. Males now use belts 72% of the time, while females use 79% of the time.

Belt use has increased dramatically among older children, with 82% of 8-15-year-olds now using belts.

Belt use has increased in rural areas.

NOPUS is conducted periodically by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The data in this note were collected between June 3, 2002 and June 22, 2002, during which approximately 38,000 drivers and 12,000 passengers were observed at 1,141 randomly selected road sites. This note supplements the 2002 NOPUS data reported in [N], which contains results on belt use by such characteristics as time of day and type of belt enforcement law.

New Age Categories in 2002

Prior to 2002, NOPUS had observed demographic characteristics (age, race, gender, and urbanization) for front seat outboard occupants over the age of 4. This year, changes instituted to incorporate booster seat use resulted in restricting the collection of demographic data to those occupants over the age of 7. (The age range 4-7 comprises most of the children who should be in booster seats, and so this group was added as a category of children in NOPUS. Results on the restraint use of these children, as well as children under 4, can be found in [C].) That is, the NOPUS age groups in this note changed as follows in 2002.

Crash deaths up 1.5% in '02, updated report shows

Friday, July 25, 2003

The number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2002 rose 1.5%, and most vehicle occupants who died were not buckled up, according to updated statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Last year, 42,815 people were killed in crashes, up from 42,196 in 2001 and the highest level since 1990, NHTSA said. Deaths among vehicle occupants rose 2.2% to 33,988. Fifty-nine percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in both 2001 and 2002 were unrestrained.

NHTSA said the statistics underscore the need for better State laws, stricter enforcement and safer driving behavior.

Crash-related injuries fell 3.5% to a record low of 2.92 million in 2002 from 3.03 million in 2001, NHTSA said. The agency released preliminary statistics on crash fatalities and injuries in April.

Fatalities among children age 7 and under dropped to historic lows. Last year, 968 children in that age group were killed in crashes, down from 1,059 in 2001. Fatalities fell by 4.8% for children age 3 and under and by 12% for children age 4 through 7. But fatalities rose for children age 8 through 15, by 1.9%. For vehicle occupants in that age group, crash deaths rose 7.9%. Fatalities also increased among young drivers (age 16 to 20), by 5.2%.

Alcohol-related deaths accounted for 41% of all crash fatalities, with 17,419 deaths in 2002, up slightly from 17,400 in 2001. Alcohol-related fatalities have been rising steadily since 1999. However, deaths in low alcohol-involvement crashes (blood alcohol concentration of 0.01-0.07) fell 5.5% to 2,401 deaths.

Fatalities in rollover crashes rose 5% to 10,666 last year from 10,157 in 2001. The number of people killed in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that rolled over increased 14%. Sixty-one percent of all SUV deaths involved rollovers.

In fatal crashes between passenger cars and LTVs (light trucks, vans and SUVs), car occupants were more often fatally injured. When a car was struck in the side by an LTV in a fatal crash, a car occupant was 20.8 times more likely to have been killed than an LTV occupant. In a head-on collision, a car occupant was 3.3 times more likely to be killed than an LTV occupant.

In crashes involving large trucks, fatalities dropped 4.2% to 4,897 in 2002 from 5,111 in 2001.

Motorcycle deaths rose for the fifth year in a row, although the increase -- "to 3,244 riders in 2002 from 3,197 in 2001 -- "was the smallest in that period. Fatalities among riders 50 and over jumped 26%.

Pedestrian deaths fell by 1.9% to 4,808 last year.

Each year, NHTSA collects crash statistics from 50 States and the District of Columbia to produce an annual report on trends in traffic safety. A summary of the report is available at the link below.