Details:

Creators:
Agent, Kenneth R. ; Green, Eric R. ; Lammers, Erin
Agent, Kenneth R. ; Green, Eric R. ; Lammers, Erin Less -
Corporate Creators:
University of Kentucky Transportation Center ; University of Kentucky. College of Engineering
University of Kentucky Transportation Center ; University of Kentucky. College of Engineering Less -
Corporate Contributors:
Kentucky. Transportation Cabinet ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
Kentucky. Transportation Cabinet ; United States. Federal Highway Administration Less -
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Highway Safety Restraint Systems Seat Belts Seat Belt Use State Departments Of Transportation Surveys
Publication/ Report Number:
KTC-17-15/KSP1-17-1F
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.2017.15
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States ; Kentucky
United States ; Kentucky Less -
Corporate Publisher:
University of Kentucky Transportation Center
Abstract:
The use of safety belts and child safety seats is a proven means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. There have been various methods used in efforts to increase safety belt and safety seat usage. Past efforts have included public information campaigns, local and statewide legislation, and enforcement of the legislation. The most recent safety belt legislation in Kentucky involved changing the requirement for the use of safety belts for all vehicle occupants from secondary to primary enforcement. A statewide law providing secondary enforcement was enacted in 1994, with the primary enforcement law passed in 2006. The first legislation in this area in Kentucky was a law enacted by the 1982 Kentucky General Assembly that required the use of a “child restraint system” for children 40 inches or less in height. Prior to the statewide safety belt law, there were local safety belt usage laws in several jurisdictions in Kentucky. The first local safety belt law, that became effective July 1990, was enacted by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The first statewide observational surveys were conducted in Kentucky in 1982 and have been conducted annually to document safety belt and safety seat usage. Following the enactment of the statewide secondary law, safety belt usage among drivers increased each survey year, from four percent in 1982 to 58 percent in 1994. The rate has steadily climbed since 1994. Examples of the increasing rates are 60 percent in 2000, 66 percent in 2004, 73 percent in 2008, and 86 percent in 2014. Statewide usage of child safety seats (CSS) or safety belts for children under four years of age increased from about 15 percent in 1982, before enactment of the mandatory child restraint law, to about 30 percent for 1984 through 1986. After a financial penalty was added to the law, this percentage increased to almost 50 percent in 1988. There has been a continued increase in usage, with rates of reaching 98 percent in recent years. However, while usage rates are very high, studies have found problems with the proper use of child safety seats. The survey methodology used to collect data has been revised slightly a few times. For several years, the statewide belt use survey was based on 200 observation sites in 58 counties taken in the weeks immediately after completing the annual “Click It or Ticket” (CIOT) campaigns. Enforcement and publicity activities related to this campaign typically finish around Memorial Day. Mini-surveys (taken at 21 of the 200 statewide sites) were taken prior to the CIOT, in April, and during the enforcement phase of the CIOT. The relatively large number of sites scattered in so many counties made data collection time-consuming. The most recent survey design (prior to the current design used first for the 2013 survey) collected data at 160 sites in 18 counties. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued new Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use. The final rule was published in Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63. The revised methodology is described in detail in the following section of this report. This methodology was developed using the research team’s experience of collecting safety belt usage rates over the past 30 years in Kentucky along with the guidelines contained in the final rule. The new methodology was implemented beginning with the 2013 statewide survey. The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2017. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2017 statewide survey documents the continued increase in usage associated with the change in the law to allow primary enforcement and related education and enforcement.
Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:6033e1a5083a979980d51fc1f663a5d615873d10d3b19b9f5480dc0d545bc319
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32837/dot_32837_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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