2007 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

The objective of this study was to establish 2007 safety belt and child safety seat usage rates in Kentucky. The 2007 survey continues to document the results after enactment of the original “secondary enforcement” statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994 and the change to “primary enforcement” which was enacted in 2006. Data were collected at 200 randomly selected sites spread across Kentucky. Data from the individual sites were combined into a statewide percentage considering roadway functional classification, geographic region, and vehicle miles traveled. The data show that the usage rate in 2007 (71.8 percent) increased several percentage points compared to 2006 (67.2 percent). Considering data taken after the original statewide law, this compares to 66.6 in 2005, 66.0 in 2004, 65.5 percent in 2003, 62.0 percent in 2002, 61.9 percent in 2001, 60 percent in 2000, 59 percent in 1999, 54 percent in 1998, 1997 and 1995, 55 percent in 1996, and 58 percent in 1994. The current usage is substantially above the 1993 level, prior to enactment of the original statewide law, of 42 percent. The 2007 statewide usage rate for children under the age of four was determined to be 98.5 percent. This is the highest rate found for this age category. The statewide law was changed in 2006 to allow primary enforcement. An educational period extended through December 2006 with warning citations given. Enforcement with fines started in January 2007. Enactment of the primary enforcement law, without education and enforcement, did not result in a substantial increase in usage. The significant increase in usage started when enforcement, with accompanying publicity and education, started in 2007