Nighttime Enforcement of Seat Belt Laws: An Evaluation of Three Community Programs [Traffic Tech]

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15258922010PDFBriefUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited StatesNorth CarolinaWest VirginiaLaw enforcementNightSeat belt useSeat beltsNumber 388Enforcement of seat belt laws has been conducted largely during daylight hours. Daytime enforcement programs have worked well to improve observed belt use rates during the day, but have been shown less often to affect nighttime use. Fatality data show that unbelted occupants at night are a large portion of the motor vehicle fatality problem, with belt use at its lowest around 1 a.m. A substantial reduction in fatalities could be achieved by getting late-night occupants to buckle up. This study had two objectives. The first objective was to collect information regarding methods of nighttime enforcement. The second objective was to implement and evaluate programs that enforced the seat belt use law at night.129