Factors Associated with Safety Belt Use in 1974 Starter-Interlock Equipped Cars

Abstract

Interview data were obtained from 394 drivers whose safety belt use or non-use had been observed in 1974 cars equipped with a starter-interlock system linked to belts and seat sensors. Belt-use was not related to education, race, comfort-convenience ratings of belts, or having had a friend injured but not killed in a crash - factors that had been found related to belt use in previous research on earlier model cars not equipped with starter-interlock systems. Drivers in 1974 cars were more likely to be seen using belts if they used their cars on their jobs or were in and out of them frequently, on average, each day. Despite favorable ratings of the efficacy of belt use, over 40 percent of drivers in 1974 cars were not using belts and 29 percent claimed that the interlock was among the least liked features of their new car. /AUTHOR/