Getting Americans to buckle up: The efficacy of state seat belt laws

Objective. The risk compensation hypothesis suggests that drivers enjoying greater safety will drive more recklessly and thereby impose greater risks on nonoccupants. We provide a test of the risk compensation hypothesis in the context of state seatbelt laws and belt use rates.Methods. Fixed-effects models with policy and demographic variables are estimated using annual state data from 1985 to 2002 to test the effect of seatbelt laws and seatbelt use rates on logged fatality rates for occupants, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and all nonoccupants in separate models.Results. Contrary to the risk compensation hypothesis, the results indicate that both occupants and nonoccupants enjoy greater safety due to state mandatory use laws and increased safety belt use rates.Conclusion. Overall, seatbelt laws and the higher belt use these laws induce do not increase nonoccupant risk exposure. If anything, these laws and the accompanying increase in belt use result in safer driving behavior. Language: en

Risk Compensation or Risk Reduction? Seatbelts, State Laws, and Traffic Fatalities*

Safety Belt Use in 2003 - Demographic Characteristics

Background: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of mortality for children aged 4-14 in the United States. Many children are driven daily to school, increasing their exposure to potential injury, especially if they are not appropriately restrained. Observing the level of motor vehicle occupant restraint (MVOR) use upon school arrival could lead to valuable information for the development of an injury prevention program targeted to this population. This study compares the rate of MVOR use upon arrival to elementary schools with that at regional intersections. Methods: One hundred thirty-five census tracts in the Denver, Colorado, area were identified and combined into 5 regions. Within each region, 1 controlled intersection and 1 elementary school were observed. Observations were conducted for 1 hour at each of these locations. Results: At intersections, 618 children in private vehicles were observed. MVOR use rate was 71.2% (440/618). At schools, 665 children in private vehicles were observed. MVOR use was 24.8% (165/665). Children arriving at school were less likely to be restrained than those observed at intersections (relative risk: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.30-0.40). Conclusions: Children at elementary schools showed substantially lower MVOR use rates than those observed at controlled intersections. Further investigation is imperative to determine the reason behind the low use of MVOR in children being transported to school. Based on the reasons elicited, interventions emphasizing the importance of always using MVOR can be developed and tailored to meet the educational needs of parents transporting their children to school in private vehicles. Language: en

The lack of motor vehicle occupant restraint use in children arriving at school.

The observed seat belt usage rates for front seat occupants have improved over the last few decades to 79% across the country in 2003. However, these usage rates, observed at intersections and at freeway entrances, may provide overestimates of actual rates for occupants that are belted at the start of the drive cycle. In the current study, we observed seat belt usage patterns of drivers and front seat passengers exiting gasoline stations, malls, and other public locations to determine whether their seat belts were fastened before leaving the premises as well as how grasping and buckling movements were completed. Contrary to the national usage rates for drivers and front seat occupants, only 52% of the occupants fastened their seat belts before leaving the public locations. We discuss these findings in terms of driver behavior and factors that influence the normal procedural sequences at the start of the drive cycle.

Are Seat Belt Usage Rates Lower than We Think

A table is presented in this research note showing safety belt use rates in the states and selected territories for the year 2002. Hawaii, the state of Washington, and Puerto Rico joined California in reaching the 90% milestone in safety belt use. Vermont and Washington made the greatest gains, each reducing its nonuse rate by 50% or more. These results are from surveys conducted by nearly all states and territories, and reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safety belt use in 2002 - use rates in the states and territories

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Safety belt use in 2002 - use rates in the states and territories