NTL Record

Title Evaluation of a Rural Seat Belt Demonstration Program in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee
Record ID 60965
Personal Name
Creator
Nichols, J. L.; Chaffe, R.; Solomon, M. G.; Tison, J.
Corporate Creator Preusser Research Group, Inc.
Corporate
Contributor
United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety Research
Publisher United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety Research
Publication Date 20160900
Language English
Abstract Three southeastern States initiated high-visibility enforcement campaigns to address lower seat belt use in their rural areas than in non-rural areas. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee conducted four waves of intensified enforcement and media from November 2008 to May 2010. The May campaigns were conducted just prior to the national Click It or Ticket campaigns. Combining activity, awareness and usage data from all three States, there was a significant positive correlation between media expenditures and awareness of rural seat belt messages. Two awareness indices correlated highly with usage and achieved statistical significance: awareness of rural seat belt messages and perceived risk of a ticket for not buckling up. While the significant correlations between awareness measures and belt usage suggest that the message got through to drivers, comparison of changes in belt use in the RDP versus the control areas produced mixed results. Seat belt usage increased significantly in the targeted rural areas of all three States, but it also increased at about the same rate in the control areas in two of the States. Only Georgia provided evidence of a rate of increase in rural usage greater than experienced in the control area, which may have been partially due to the use and public awareness of checkpoints.
Rosap ID dot:1975
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1975
TRT Terms Evaluation; Rural areas; Seat belt use; Demonstration projects; Law enforcement; Campaigns; Mass media; Awareness
General Subjects Seat belt use; rural; high-visibility enforcement
Geographical
Coverage
Florida; Georgia; Tennessee
Contract Number DTNH22-06-D-0047
Report Number DOT HS 812 328
Availability NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/60000/60900/60965/812328-ruralseatbeltdemoregion4.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository