NTL Record

Title 2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey: Volume 2: Safety Belt Report
Record ID 26042
Personal Name
Creator
Boyle, John M., 1947- ; Vanderwolf, Patricia
Source http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/2003MVOSS-Survey-Vol2/index.htm
Corporate Creator Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas (Firm)
Corporate
Contributor
United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Research and Traffic Records
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Publication Date 20030900
Language English
Abstract The 2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey was the fifth 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 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 or older. Interviewing began January 8, 2003 and ended March 30, 2003. This report presents the survey findings pertaining to safety belts. Detailed information on the survey methodology, as well as copies of the questionnaires, are contained in a separate NHTSA report ("2003 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. Volume 1. Methodology Report"). The passenger car remains the most common primary vehicle driven by adults (59%), although the percentage has continued to drop as SUVs (13%) have increased in frequency. The predominant type of safety belt in the front seat of vehicles is the one-piece manual lap and shoulder system (80%). Drivers increasingly are reporting that they have adjustable shoulder belts (52%). Eighty-four percent of drivers said they wore their safety belt "all of the time" while driving, but 7% of those immediately said that they did not use a safety 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 safety belt use was lower among males, drivers age 16-24, drivers in rural areas, pickup truck drivers, drivers who engage in other risky driving behaviors, and drivers in secondary enforcement States. Drivers most often cited injury avoidance as their most important reason for using safety belts (66%). Part-time belt users substantially outnumbered those who reported never wearing safety belts, and their primary reasons for non-use were driving just a short distance and forgetting. Eighty-eight percent of the public favored laws that require drivers and front seat passengers to wear safety belts, 64% favored standard enforcement and 65% favored fines for drivers who do not wear safety belts.
Rosap ID dot:1712
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1712
TRT Terms Occupant protection devices; Manual safety belts; Surveys; Attitudes; Behavior; Statistics
Classification NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Vehicle Design;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Highway Safety;
NTL - PLANNING AND POLICY - Surveys
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
985834
Contract Number DTNH-22-02-Q-05098
Report Number DOT-HS-809-789; NTIS-PB2005100646
Availability NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
Resource type Statistical Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/26000/26000/26042/DOT-HS-809-789_r.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository