Seat Belt Use
Hosted by Mr. Larry Decina
Mr. Decina is a Senior Associate for TransAnalytics LLC., in Quakertown, PA. He holds a BS in Psychology and a MS in Information Science, both from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa. He has over 40 years experience in highway safety research. He has been a Principal Investigator on studies for NHTSA, IIHS, Safe Kids Worldwide, PennDOT, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, FHWA, and The PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
His research in the past twenty years has primarily focused on seat belt and car seat law enforcement and public information programs; car seat messaging; and observation studies on car seat use and misuses. He has also conducted research throughout his career in older driver issues relating to medical and licensing issues; automated traffic signal and speed enforcement; transportation information and library science; traffic control; and other driver behavior issues.
He has presented his research at over 20 conferences for TRB, Lifesavers, NHTSA Regionals, PennDOT, and GHSA. He has over 50 publications and peer-reviewed journal articles on highway safety topics. He has developed guidebooks for child passenger safety (CPS) practitioners and law enforcement on observation techniques and enforcement. He is a certified CPS technician and present and past member of several Transportation Research Board Committees.
NOPUS: The National Occupant Protection Use Survey
Adele Polson
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and serious injuries for adults and children in the U.S. To support its mission of saving lives, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) develops and implements educational, engineering, and enforcement programs to prevent tragedies associated with crashes. An essential component of advancing and refining efforts to improve occupant protection is obtaining accurate data on restraint use to inform targeted outreach. NOPUS provides the only national estimates of restraint use. Data collectors observe passenger vehicles and motorcycles during daylight hours. They record seat belt use in the first and second rows, motorcyclists’ helmet use, and driver electronic device use. To complete NOPUS, Westat’s field data collectors visit approximately 2,000 sites across the U.S. In 2022, Westat staff observed 119,400+ occupants in 98,300+ vehicles. As noted in NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts article: Seat Belt Use in 2022 – Overall Results, “The national estimate of seat belt use by adult front-seat passengers in 2022 was 91.6%, a record high although not statistically different (at the 0.05 level) from 90.4% observed in 2021.” Because the NOPUS sites were selected probabilistically, we can test the statistical significance of changes in estimates across multiple years and analyze trend data. NOPUS also identifies subgroups within the U.S. population that should be targeted for intervention (educational and enforcement campaigns) to help increase their use of seat belts. This presentation will provide an overview of NOPUS and review results.
Saving lives using persistent seat belt reminders at every seating position
Dr. David Kidd
ABSTRACT: Although 90% of front-row occupants used a seat belt in 2021, about half of front-row occupants who were fatally injured in crashes were unbelted. Most people who do not regularly use a seat belt forget to buckle or fail to do so in certain situations like when going a short distance or riding as a rear passenger in a hired car. Persistent audible and visual seat belt reminders are effective for motivating unbuckled occupants to use a seat belt use and are accepted by consumers. The U.S. lags other countries which require or incentivize persistent seat belt reminders for front and rear occupants, but the gap is narrowing due to recent activities by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and proposed rulemaking by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This presentation will discuss why occupants do not regularly use seat belts in the U.S., the vehicle technologies that can increase belt use and are acceptable, and recent consumer information and regulatory action that will enable these technologies to save lives.
Seatbelt use (non-use) related data and safety analysis
Dr. Shashi Nambisan
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and serious injuries for adults and children in the U.S. To support its mission of saving lives, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) develops and implements educational, engineering, and enforcement programs to prevent tragedies associated with crashes. An essential component of advancing and refining efforts to improve occupant protection is obtaining accurate data on restraint use to inform targeted outreach. NOPUS provides the only national estimates of restraint use. Data collectors observe passenger vehicles and motorcycles during daylight hours. They record seat belt use in the first and second rows, motorcyclists’ helmet use, and driver electronic device use. To complete NOPUS, Westat’s field data collectors visit approximately 2,000 sites across the U.S. In 2022, Westat staff observed 119,400+ occupants in 98,300+ vehicles. As noted in NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts article: Seat Belt Use in 2022 – Overall Results, “The national estimate of seat belt use by adult front-seat passengers in 2022 was 91.6%, a record high although not statistically different (at the 0.05 level) from 90.4% observed in 2021.” Because the NOPUS sites were selected probabilistically, we can test the statistical significance of changes in estimates across multiple years and analyze trend data. NOPUS also identifies subgroups within the U.S. population that should be targeted for intervention (educational and enforcement campaigns) to help increase their use of seat belts. This presentation will provide an overview of NOPUS and review results.
Evaluation of rear-seat belt laws
Dr. Neil Chaudhary
A goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of adult rear-seat belt laws on rear-seat belt use. The researchers conducted observational surveys in nine States, all having a primary front-seat belt law. States were grouped into triads based on statewide front-seat belt use rate as well as geographical and demographic similarities. Each triad consisted of a primary, secondary, and “no” rear-seat belt law State. The researchers conducted observations at 120 sites per State, resulting in more than 8,000 adult rear-seat observations. Within each triad, rear-seat belt use was lowest in States without a rear-seat belt law, and it was significantly lower than rear-seat belt use in States with primary rear-seat belt laws. The impact of rear-seat secondary laws was less clear.
Observations from CarFit: seatbelts, medical conditions, and compliance
Elin Schold Davis
Seatbelt use and proper fit is a primary focus of the CarFit education. This session will share a range of reasons for and examples of non-use by drivers who would wear their seatbelt “if they could”. Buckling up involves more than simply remembering to do so.