Increase Seat Belt Use Research Articles

Sustaining Seat Belt Use in a High-Use State

Hawaii has been a high-use state for seat belts since 1985. For the past decade, the state has averaged well over 95% overall compliance. Efforts to maintain or even increase this exceptional use rate are challenging. Hawaii has a large tourist population. Nonusers may come from demographic and social groups that are difficult to reach. This paper summarizes two decades of monitoring, research, and evaluation of programs in Hawaii and suggests several aspects of the state's success in promoting seat belt use. A key component involves understanding the geography of seat belt use and the relationships between enforcement activities and public outreach and education. Although it may be difficult or impossible to attain universal use, some directions for further effort in promoting seat belt use in high-use communities are clearly possible. This research will be increasingly important as other communities achieve higher use rates and transition to efforts geared toward sustaining seat belt use. Enforcement is part of an overall program for increasing seat belt use and traffic safety.

WITHDRAWN: Reprint of “Increasing Seat Belt Use in North Carolina”

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy ). This reprinted article has been retracted at the request of the Publisher. The online version of this reprint has been withdrawn as it was a redundant duplicate of the original article. The original can be found via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-4375(95)00027-5 . The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

Improving seat belt use among teen drivers: Findings from a service-learning approach

BackgroundLow seat belt use and higher crash rates contribute to persistence of motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of teenage death. Service-learning has been identified as an important component of public health interventions to improve health behavior. MethodologyA service-learning intervention was conducted in eleven selected high schools across the United States in the 2011–2012 school year. Direct morning and afternoon observations of seat belt use were used to obtain baseline observations during the fall semester and post-intervention observations in the spring. The Mann–Whitney U test for 2 independent samples was used to evaluate if the intervention was associated with a statistically significant change in seat belt use. We identified factors associated with seat belt use post-intervention using multivariable logistic regression. ResultsOverall seat belt use rate increased by 12.8%, from 70.4% at baseline to 83.2% post-intervention (p<0.0001). A statistically significant increase in seat belt use was noted among white, black, and Hispanic teen drivers. However, black and Hispanic drivers were still less likely to use seat belts while driving compared to white drivers. Female drivers and drivers who had passengers in their vehicle had increased odds of seat belt use. ConclusionA high school service-learning intervention was associated with improved seat belt use regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, but did not eliminate disparities adversely affecting minority youth. Continuous incorporation of service-learning in high school curricula could benefit quality improvement evaluations aimed at disparities elimination and might improve the safety behavior of emerging youth cohorts.

Self-reported seatbelt use, United States, 2002–2010: Does prevalence vary by state and type of seatbelt law?

ProblemMotor-vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States. Seatbelts are highly effective in preventing serious injury and death in the event of a crash. Not all states have primary enforcement of seatbelt laws. MethodsData from the 2002, 2006, 2008, and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to calculate prevalence of seatbelt use by state and type of state seatbelt law (primary vs. secondary enforcement). Results and discussionSelf-reported seatbelt use among adults in the United States increased steadily between 2002 and 2010, with the national prevalence reaching 87% in 2010. Overall, seatbelt use in 2010 was 9 percentage points higher in the states with primary enforcement laws than in the states with secondary enforcement laws (89% vs. 80%). Impact on industry: Primary enforcement seatbelt laws and enhanced enforcement of seatbelt laws are proven strategies for increasing seatbelt use and reducing traffic fatalities.

Increasing seat belt use in the Russian context: tailored social marketing campaign and concerted strengthened enforcement

BackgroundSeat-belt wearing is the single most effective road safety measure a car occupant can take to prevent deaths and injury. However its use in the Russian Federation remains low.AimsTo increase...

INCREASING SEATBELT USE AND POTENTIAL LIVES SAVED IN ONE REGION OF RUSSIA

BackgroundThe use of seatbelts is an important means of reducing the risk of death or serious injury; yet the seatbelt use rate in Russia is not optimal. The Road Safety...

Evaluation of enforcement programme to increase seatbelt use: a case study in precinct 8, Putrajaya

BackgroundRoad safety issue is a major problem in Malaysia, with close to 7000 deaths are recorded every year. The government has introduced a number of intervention programmes nationwide to reduce...

Response of part-time belt users to enhanced seat belt reminder systems of different duty cycles and duration

Enhanced seat belt reminders are an effective means of increasing seat belt use. It is important to optimize the design of these systems so that they increase belt use and are acceptable to vehicle occupants. This study examined the effects of duty cycle and duration on seat belt reminder effectiveness and annoyance. It also evaluated the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) duration requirement. Eighty part-time belt users experienced one of four seat belt reminders in a driving simulator and rated the likelihood that they would buckle up and how annoyed they were every 45 s. Overall, participants that experienced an enhanced reminder said they would be more likely to buckle up than participants that experienced a basic reminder which complied with but did not exceed the US federal requirements. The reported likelihood of buckling up did not change significantly as reminder duration increased. Increasing the duty cycle of the chime and flashing icon in a reminder cycle did not influence these ratings either, but it did make the system more annoying. Reducing the duty cycle of enhanced reminders would be one method of increasing user acceptance while ensuring the reminder system still motivates belt use. Lastly, the variation in duration and duty cycle permitted under Euro NCAP requirements for seat belt reminders did not affect the reported likelihood of belt use for participants in the three enhanced reminder conditions.

Restraint Use Law Enforcement Intervention in Latino Communities

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. Latinos aged 1 to 35 years. Restraint use is an effective means of prevention of motor vehicle crash injury. Effective interventions to raise restraint use include the following: legislation, law enforcement, education, and equipment distribution. The effects of law enforcement interventions in Latino immigrant communities are understudied. We measured the community-level effect of a combined intervention that included warnings and citations phase enforcement in Latino communities. We designed and implemented in two of three Latino-majority communities a multicomponent intervention consisting of a community awareness campaign, restraint use education with equipment distribution, and a two-staged law enforcement intervention. Restraint use observations were conducted in all three communities at baseline, after the warnings phase and again after the citations phase of the intervention were completed. The combined intervention of community awareness, education, child passenger restraint distribution, and law enforcement focused on educational traffic stops with incentives and warnings was associated with a significant increase in both driver and child passenger restraint use in one intervention community, but only driver restraint increased to a level of significance in the other intervention community; significant increase was also noted among nonintervention drivers. The citations phase of the intervention did not result in a significant increase in restraint use and was complicated by interruptions due to unlicensed drivers. The combined effort of community awareness, education, equipment distribution and law enforcement intervention that included incentives and warnings may be effective at increasing seat belt use in Latino communities without the need for citations.

Does Delivering Preventive Services in Primary Care Reduce Adolescent Risky Behavior?

To determine whether the delivery of preventive services changes adolescent behavior. This exploratory study examined the trajectory of risk behavior among adolescents receiving care in three pediatric clinics, in which a preventive services intervention was delivered during well visits. The intervention consisted of screening and brief counseling from a provider, followed by a health educator visit. At age 14 (year 1), 904 adolescents had a risk assessment and intervention, followed by a risk assessment 1 year later at age 15 (year 2). Outcomes were changes in adolescent behavior related to seat belt and helmet use; tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; and sexual behavior. Analysis involved age-related comparisons between the intervention and several cross-sectional comparison samples from the age of 14-15 years. The change in helmet use in the intervention sample was 100% higher (p < .05), and the change in seat belt use among males was 50% higher (p = .14); the change in smoking among males was 54% lower (p < .10), in alcohol use was no different, and in drug use was 10% higher (not significant [NS]); and the change in rate of sexual intercourse was 18% and 22% lower than cohort comparison samples (NS). The intervention had the strongest effect in the area of helmet use, shows promise for increasing seat belt use and reducing smoking among male adolescents, and indicates a nonsignificant trend toward delaying the onset of sexual activity. Participation in the intervention seemed to have no effect on the rates of experimentation with alcohol and drugs between the ages of 14 and 15 years.

Seatbelt Injury Causing Small Bowel Devascularisation: Case Series and Review of the Literature

The use of seatbelts has increased significantly in the last twenty years, leading to a decrease in mortality from road traffic accidents (RTA). However, this increase in seatbelt use has also led to a change in the spectrum of injuries from RTA; abdominal injuries, particularly intestinal injuries have dramatically increased with the routine use of seatbelts. Such intestinal injuries frequently result from improper placement of the “lap belt”. We present 3 cases in which passengers wearing a seatbelt sustained significant devascularisation injuries to the small bowel requiring emergency surgical intervention. A high index of suspicion is crucial in such cases to prevent delays in diagnosis that can lead to severe complications and adverse outcomes. It is evident that while advocating seatbelt use, the importance of education in correct seatbelt placement should also be a focus of public health strategies to reduce RTA morbidity and mortality.

안전벨트 착용과정에서 무의식적 행위와 착용비율

Seat belt is an important means to protect drivers and passengers from the damages by car accidents. Many ways to increase the seat belt wearing rate have been proposed through human factors researches. The primary ways to increase seat belt use rate have emphasized the intention-behavior cycle. This study focused on the gap between intention and behavior. The gap may be bridged by the habit for seat belt use behavior. Divers following a desirable car starting sequence, from sitting on the chair, fastening seat belt, starting engine to moving a car, reported that higher belt wearing rate and unconscious behavior (automated response). That is, the habitualized procedure knowledge prevented drivers from forgetting to fasten their seat belt. The reminder systems such as warning light and warning sound could not significantly give an influence in remembering to fasten seat belt. In order to increase the seat belt use rate, the desirable car starting procedure should be included in the driving education program.

The Prevalence of Seatbelt Use among Pediatric Hospital Workers

Eighteen percent of drivers do not consistently wear their seatbelts when driving. The purpose of this article is to report the problem of noncompliance with seatbelt use among health care workers at a Level I pediatric trauma center in the midwest United States with evidence from a non-experimental, observational study. Results showed that 84% ( n = 3,641) of drivers and 73% ( n = 113) of passengers wore their seatbelts. A significant correlation was found between driver seatbelt use and passenger seatbelt use ( p = .272, p &lt; .001). Drivers from primary seatbelt legislation states wore their seatbelts significantly more often than drivers from the secondary seatbelt legislation state, x(1) = 0.913, p = .012. Non-compliance with seatbelt use among pediatric health care workers is a problem equal to that of the general population. It may be necessary to adopt and enforce mandatory seatbelt use policies at the organizational level to increase seatbelt use in this population of hospital workers.

The Prevalence of Seatbelt Use Among Pediatric Hospital Workers

Eighteen percent of drivers do not consistently wear their seatbelts when driving. The purpose of this article is to report the problem of noncompliance with seatbelt use among health care workers at a Level I pediatric trauma center in the midwest United States with evidence from a non-experimental, observational study. Results showed that 84% (n=3,641) of drivers and 73% (n=113) of passengers wore their seatbelts. A significant correlation was found between driver seatbelt use and passenger seatbelt use (p=.272, p<.001). Drivers from primary seatbelt legislation states wore their seatbelts significantly more often than drivers from the secondary seatbelt legislation state, χ(1)=0.913, p=.012. Non-compliance with seatbelt use among pediatric health care workers is a problem equal to that of the general population. It may be necessary to adopt and enforce mandatory seatbelt use policies at the organizational level to increase seatbelt use in this population of hospital workers.

Incidence and total lifetime costs of motor vehicle-related fatal and non-fatal injury by road user type in the United States

BackgroundEach year, more than a million people are killed in motor vehicle crashes worldwide. Crashes place a tremendous burden on societies not only in terms of lives lost but also...

Translating research to practice: effective strategies to reduce motor vehicle injuries among American Indian tribes

BackgroundAmerican Indians/Alaska Natives have the highest motor vehicle-related death rates of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Injury Center worked...

Incidence and Total Lifetime Costs of Motor Vehicle–Related Fatal and Nonfatal Injury by Road User Type, United States, 2005

Objectives: To estimate the costs of motor vehicle–related fatal and nonfatal injuries in the United States in terms of medical care and lost productivity by road user type. Methods: Incidence and cost data for 2005 were derived from several data sources. Unit costs were calculated for medical spending and productivity losses for fatal and nonfatal injuries, and unit costs were multiplied by incidence to yield total costs. Injury incidence and costs are presented by age, sex, and road user type. Results: Motor vehicle–related fatal and nonfatal injury costs exceeded $99 billion. Costs associated with motor vehicle occupant fatal and nonfatal injuries accounted for 71 percent ($70 billion) of all motor vehicle–related costs, followed by costs associated with motorcyclists ($12 billion), pedestrians ($10 billion), and pedalcyclists ($5 billion). Conclusions: The substantial economic and societal costs associated with these injuries and deaths reinforce the need to implement evidence-based, cost-effective strategies. Evidence-based strategies that target increasing seat belt use, increasing child safety seat use, increasing motorcyclist and pedalcyclist helmet use, and decreasing alcohol-impaired driving are available.

Increasing Seat Belt Use by Teens

Teenage drivers (age range, 16–20 years) have the highest crash rate per mile driven among all age groups and are less likely to use seat belts than

Teen Traffic Safety Campaign: Competition Is the Key

: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers because of higher crash rates per mile driven and low seat belt use rates. : An educational program aimed at increasing seat belt use among teens was implemented at five area high schools in the spring of 2007 and six high schools in the fall of 2007. Observational studies were conducted as students arrived at school. Resources and incentives were provided to generate peer-to-peer motivation. Schools competed against one another to see which could achieve the highest seat belt usage rate during a 7-week period. Observational studies were repeated, and success of the safety campaign was measured by an increase in seat belt usage at the participating high schools. : At the beginning of the safety campaign, average seat belt use among teen drivers was 47% and 59% for the spring and fall, respectively. Teen passengers had an average usage of 40% and 57% for the spring and fall. In the spring campaign, seat belt use increased by 36% and 19% for teen drivers and passengers, respectively. Similar results were seen in the fall, with increases of 26% and 13% for teen drivers and passengers, respectively. Overall seat belt use in both campaigns increased by 20%, to an average use rate of 71%. : Social pressure and poor comprehension of the risks of injury were identified as barriers to seat belt usage among teenage high school students. A friendly, competitive approach to openly discussing and educating teens about these risks led to a 20% increase in seat belt usage among teen drivers and their passengers.

Geographic and sociodemographic variation in self-reported seat belt use in the United States

Background With new data available, we sought to update existing literature on the prevalence of self-reported seat belt use by state, region, and rural/urban status and to estimate the strength of the association between seat belt use and rural/urban status adjusted for type of seat belt law and several other factors. Methods We examined data on self-reported use of seat belts from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three territories using the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based random-digit-dialed telephone survey ( n = 406,552). Reported seat belt use was assessed by state, U.S. Census regions, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural/urban continuum codes. Results Overall, 85% of adults in the United States reported they always used seat belts. Regionally, the West had the highest prevalence of persons who reported that they always wear seat belts (89.6%) and the Midwest had the lowest (80.4%). States with primary seat belt laws had the highest prevalence of reported seat belt use, compared with states with secondary or no laws. After adjusting for various sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, and type of seat belt law, persons in the most densely populated metropolitan areas were significantly more likely to report always wearing seat belts than those in most sparsely populated rural areas (adjusted odds ratio = 2.9). Conclusion Our findings reinforce the evidence that primary enforcement seat belt laws are effective for increasing seat belt use, and suggest that upgrading to primary enforcement laws will be an important strategy for reducing crash-related fatalities in rural areas.