Effectiveness of Safety Belt Usage Laws

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15250491980PDFResearch PaperFisher, Franklin G.Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited StatesManual safety beltsLaw enforcementJurisprudence and judicial processesTraffic law enforcementForeignAttitudesCase studiesSurveysDOT-HS-805-490NTIS-PB80209901DOT-HS-9-02104Final reportThe study involved the collection of data from a target group of 21 countries around the world. These countries were contacted or visited to collect the necessary data. A case study was written for each country visited. These case studies, which are quite extensive where data were available, form the bulk of the report. Specific issues were identified by DOT with regard to the seat belt laws that have been enacted. These issues have been discussed for each country where data were available. It was apparent from the data collected that a major issue concerning the enactment of compulsory seat belt usage legislation has to do with the culture and psychological characteristics of the people within the country of interest. It was also found that one's expressed or observed attitude about seat belt usage and mandatory seat belt laws did not correlate with one's behavior regarding the wearing of seat belts. The main factors that influence the frequency with which a person wears his/her seat belt are the level of enforcement applied by the police, the natural propensity for the person to be law abiding and/or the person's personal perspective regarding his/her safety. /Abstract from report summary page/129