2000 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. Volume 2, Seat Belt Report

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15254862001PDFStatistical ReportBlock, Alan W.Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas (Firm)United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Research and Traffic RecordsUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited StatesOccupant protection devicesManual safety beltsSurveysAttitudesBehaviorStatisticsDOT-HS-809-389NTIS-PB2002105416The 2000 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey was the fourth in a series of biennial national telephone surveys on occupant protection issues conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted by the firm Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc., a national survey research organization. The survey used two questionnaires, each administered to a randomly selected national sample of about 6,000 persons age 16 and older. Interviewing began November 8, 2000 and ended January 21, 2001. This report presents the survey findings pertaining to seat belts. Detailed information on the survey methodology, as well as copies of the questionnaires, are contained in a separate NHTSA report ("2000 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. Volume 1. Methodology Report"). The car remains the most common primary vehicle driven by adults (62%), although the percentage has dropped as SUVs (10%) have increased in frequency. The predominant type of seat belt in the front seat of vehicles is the one piece manual lap and shoulder system (76%). Drivers increasingly are reporting that they have adjustable shoulder belts (48%). Eighty-three percent of drivers said they wore their seat belt "all the time" while driving (up from 79% in 1998), but 8% of those immediately said that they did not use a seat belt while driving at least once in the past day or week. Reported belt use traditionally is higher than observed belt use, although the demographic patterns tend to be the same. Reported seat belt use was lower among males, drivers age 21-24, drivers in rural areas, pickup truck drivers, drivers who engage in other risky driving, and drivers in secondary enforcement States. Drivers most often cited injury avoidance as their most important reason for using seat belts (64%). Part time belt users substantially outnumbered never users, and their primary reasons for nonuse were forgetting and driving just a short distance. Eighty-seven percent of the public favored laws that require drivers and front seat passengers to wear seat belts, and 61 % favored standard enforcement. /Abstract from report summary page/129