achieving a high seat belt use rate - nhtsa.gov · 8 steps to achieving a high belt use rate $...

Achieving a High Seat Belt Use Rate

A Guide for Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs

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“The single most effective action we can take tosave lives on America's roadways is to increaseseat belt and child safety seat use.”

Rodney Slater, Former Secretary of Transportation

When used properly, lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injuryto front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk ofmoderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. Even greater risk reductionresults when seat belts are used properly in light trucks.

Although seat belts have been installed in automobiles since the1950s, the seat belt use rate was only 14 percent as late as 1984.The use rate grew rapidly to 42 percent by 1987 as 31 statespassed seat belt use laws, and the rate continued to increase eachyear as additional states adopted seat belt legislation. In 1998, thenational seat belt use rate was 69 percent.

In 1997, President Clinton initiated the Buckle Up AmericaCampaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase seat belt use to90 percent by 2005. The four elements of the plan are: buildingpublic-private partnerships; enacting strong legislation; conductingwell-coordinated education; and maintaining active, high-visibilityenforcement.

This report summarizes recent advances in achieving andpublicizing high-visibility enforcement. Publicity and enforcementstrategies are available NOW that will enable communities to reachthe 90 percent belt use goal.

sTEPs to Achieving a High Belt Use Rate 1

sTEPs to Achieving a High Belt Use Rate2


This report describes:

Development of sTEPs.......................................... 5

Buckle Up NOW in Elmira, New York......................... 6

Where to do Community sTEPS............................... 8

Organizing Local Efforts........................................ 9

Publicizing a sTEP.............................................. 10

Enforcement Strategies........................................12

Using Data in Conducting sTEPs............................. 15

Timing sTEPs....................................................17

Overall Statewide Effort....................................... 18

Appendix A - Data Collection Forms and Directions......20

Appendix B - NHTSA Resources............................. 23


Development of sTEPs

High seat belt use rates are directlyrelated to vigorous enforcement of acomprehensive belt use law. ASelective Traffic EnforcementProgram (sTEP) can produce largegains in belt use over short periods oftime. Continuing enforcementbetween periods of sTEP activity canmaintain these gains.

Canada was the first country in NorthAmerica to demonstrate that highlypublicized occupant protectionenforcement can increase compliancewith seat belt laws. In the mid-70s,following passage of Canada'smandatory seat belt laws, usagesurged as high as 71 percent withinmonths, but then declined. High-visibility, short-duration enforcementprograms, conducted in severalprovinces, led to sharp increases inbelt use. Continued use of occupantprotection sTEPs contributed toCanada's achievement of an 87percent use rate by the early 1990s.

New York State experienced a similarrise, and then decline, in belt userates following its passage of the firststatewide seat belt law in 1984. In1985, Chemung County, New York,implemented an enforcement programbased on the Canadian model. The“Elmira Program” demonstrated thatperiodic sTEPs can increase use ofpassenger restraints in the U.S. Thefirst sTEP conducted in ChemungCounty increased belt use from 49percent to 77 percent in three weeks.A second sTEP conducted in spring1986 produced a peak belt use rate of80 percent.

In North Carolina, seat belt use ratesrose to 78 percent shortly after aprimary law was passed in 1986, butthen declined to 65 percent by 1993.The state conducted a series ofoccupant protection sTEPs in 1994and increased driver belt use to 81percent.

Later in 1994, NHTSA funded furthertests of statewide sTEPs in NewMexico, South Carolina, Vermont, andOregon. The result was an overallincrease of four percentage points inbelt use in participating communities.

NHTSA’s Campaign Safe and Soberfunded sTEPs in 20 states in 1996and 1997. More than a quarter millionseat belt citations were written as partof sTEP enforcement activity. Beltuse increases averaged +8percentage points in secondary lawstates (where an officer needs someother reason to stop a vehicle) and+21 percentage points in states withprimary laws (where an officer canstop a vehicle based on an observedbelt law violation alone). In the statescompleting at least five sTEP waves,the largest increases in belt use ratesoccurred during the first sTEP (wave1). Smaller increases were seenthrough each successive sTEP wave(waves 2-5) in both primary andsecondary law states.

Primary law states; +20.6 percentage points

Secondary law states; +7.6 percentage points

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Campaign Safe and Sober sTEP Results, 1996-97


Buckle Up NOW in Elmira

In October 1999, NHTSA and theInsurance Institute for Highway Safetycontracted with the PreusserResearch Group, Inc., to conduct anupdated “Elmira” sTEP in ChemungCounty, New York. The goal was todemonstrate that seat belt use can beincreased to achieve the President's90 percent goal. The belt use rate inChemung County on October 1, 1999,was 63 percent. In just three weeks,belt use increased to 90 percent.

Occupant restraint sTEP enforcementhas been evolving as public attitudeschange and new strategies aredeveloped and tested. The primarygoal of the Buckle Up NOW sTEP inElmira was to develop an updatedprogram capable of achieving 90percent belt use.

The first 1985 Elmira sTEP was athree-week program of publicity,followed by warnings and publicity,followed by citations and publicity.Over the course of this program,approximately three warnings wereissued for every citation. Whilesome belt use checkpoints wereimplemented, checkpoints were not acentral component of the first ElmirasTEP.

In later sTEPs, as belt use lawsbecame more widely accepted by thepublic, warnings were issued lessfrequently. The “2nd generation”sTEP model called for a period of“soft” publicity about the value ofwearing a seat belt; followed by abrief period of “hard” publicity duringwhich the public was told thatintensified enforcement was coming;followed by a period of intensiveenforcement with continued publicity.

The Buckle Up NOW sTEP in Elmirabegan with a brief period of direct,sharply focused, “hard” publicity,and then moved immediately tono-excuses high-visibilityenforcement. The media plan wasdesigned to reach every motorist inthe target area. Checkpoints wereused extensively, since they are themost visible enforcement strategy.The enforcement goal was to make itvirtually impossible to drive withoutgetting a citation when not wearing aseat belt.

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Data Collection

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Buckle Up NOW!New Record

90%In Elmira, NY


A successful sTEP program takesconsiderable time and resources toorganize. Community coalitions needto be built, official and enforcementsupport garnered, and a publicinformation and education planstructured. But, once developed, theability to carry out effective, periodicsTEP waves will be in place, as longas community support and resourcesremain.

A sTEP program includes: 1) datacollection, before the enforcementbegins and throughout its duration;2) publicity that announces thebeginning of strict enforcement andcontinues to keep the public aware ofenforcement; 3) highly visibleenforcement each day of theenforcement period; and 4) a mediaevent announcing program resultsand thanking all participants in thecommunity.

Integrate the following elements into your sTEP program:

• Formation of a community coalition, spearheaded by enforcementleaders and with official support

• Highly publicized, zero-tolerance enforcement of seat belt andchild restraint violations, including safety checkpoints if allowed

• Intensive publicity focusing on enforcement

• Collection of data to monitor program result

• Feedback to the community on enforcement results and progresstoward the usage goal

sTEP Program Model

Data Collection

Publicity

EnforcementConcluding Media Event


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Where to Do Community sTEPs

The goal of special traffic enforcementis to change motorist behavior.Gaining law enforcement andcommunity support and achievinghigh visibility are primaryconsiderations in doing a sTEP.

Data indicate the community is inneed of improvement; crashes arehigh or belt use is low

Analysis of crash locations and beltuse can be helpful in determining theneed for improvement and fortargeting efforts.

The community should be a well-defined geographic area

sTEP areas should be defined so thatresidents have a common sense ofbelonging to a community. Thus, thecommunity may be a single city, town,or county, but it may also be a centralcity plus the surrounding suburbs.Alternatively, it may be one or morerural counties. However, there shouldbe media outlets that specificallyserve the selected area so that theenforcement message can bedelivered directly to the targetaudience.

Official Support must be garnered

sTEPs work best in communitieswhere enforcement agencies canpartner with local government, publicservice organizations, the media, andbusinesses to generate overwhelmingprogram intensity.

Enforcement must be willing andable to support the sTEP

Since communities typically includeseveral political jurisdictions, sTEPsare most successful when allenforcement agencies in thecommunity are involved. Urbancenters often are surrounded bysuburbs and outlying rural areas, eachwith its own enforcement agency. Theentire community may be served bythe same media and the samebusiness outlets, and drivers maycross several political jurisdictions ona single trip. Considerable energycan be achieved when sTEPs involvethe state, county, and localenforcement agencies serving thecommunity.

Both the publicity plan and theenforcement plan needsufficient resources to reachevery driver in the community.In general, when supportingcommunity sTEPs, statesshould try to include as large apercentage of the state'spopulation as resourcespermit. However, eachselected community must bemanageable within existingresources. To achieve highbelt use, the sTEP modelrequires adequate resources topermit full enforcement andpublicity saturation.


Organizing Local Efforts

Strong local leadership andcoordination are essential toconducting a successful sTEP. Sinceenforcement agencies play a centralrole in conducting these campaigns,the leadership role generally is filledby a high-ranking law enforcementofficial. Safe Communities orCommunity Traffic Safety Programshave also taken the lead incoordinating successful campaigns,particularly where multipleenforcement agencies are involved.Regardless of who coordinates thecampaign, up-front commitment to theprogram is needed from topmanagement in each participatingenforcement agency.

A high-level enforcement officialshould take the lead in carrying themessage to the public. This programspokesperson may also overseeprogram planning and coordination,although successful programs havebeen implemented with differentpeople acting in these two roles.

Sub-coordinators can be designatedfor specific elements of the program:

1) Planning and coordinatingenforcement

2) Planning and coordinating datacollection

3) Developing public informationmaterials

4) Planning and coordinating publicity

Community involvement is essential.sTEP organizers must have the fullsupport of elected officials. Theprogram also should be coordinatedwith the courts, since their caseloadswill be affected directly by the numberof citations issued.

The leadership role for Elmira'sBuckle Up NOW! was assumed bySheriff Charles D.W. Houper ofChemung County. The Sheriff alsoassumed the overall planning andcoordination function. All other localenforcement agencies participated inthe planning and implementation ofthe program; each conducted specialenforcement within its jurisdiction.Other participating local enforcementleaders included the Chiefs of thepolice departments of the City ofElmira, the Town of Elmira, and theVillages of Elmira Heights,Horseheads, and Southport.


Publicizing a sTEP

The publicity surrounding a sTEP is justas important as the actual enforcement.In fact, it is not likely that enforcementalone will generate the level of publicexposure and perception of risk neededto make a significant impact on thecommunity. Since the main goal ofoccupant protection sTEPs is to get thepublic to buckle up, the more visibilityyour program receives, the better.

Publicity for Elmira’s Buckle Up NOWprogram concentrated almost entirelyon informing the public about theenforcement effort. Health and safetymessages that have been promoted formany years were less visible. Elmira'smessage was simple and straight-forward: Buckle Up NOW, or you willget a ticket.

Publicity can be generated in manyways, including distribution of publicitymaterials, paid advertising, publicservice announcements, and earnedmedia (i.e., news coverage). Messagestailored to the community are mosteffective. State and federal sourcesoffer a variety of generic materials.Often it is possible to customize thesematerials with a local logo or tag line.

Publicizing the Elmira sTEP

• Press Conferences• News Releases• Large Newspaper Ads• Variable Message Boards• Radio Spots• Signs on Patrol Cars• Banners • Posters• Flyers• Radio, Television, and Newspaper

Coverage

Paid advertising is the most expensivealternative and usually is notreimbursed by enforcement grantfunding. Sometimes a commercialsponsor may be willing to fund it inreturn for a tag line identifying thecompany as a sponsor, or to add theoccupant enforcement message to theircompany’s own advertising.

Earned media and media advocacyapproaches are powerful tools forchanging community attitudes andnorms about a variety of public healthissues. Earned media is the mediacoverage your program earns wheneverit makes the news on television orradio, or in the newspapers. In Elmira,press events announced the beginningof the sTEP program. Typically, kick-offpress events feature speakers thatvalidate the campaign's importance tothe community, such as electedofficials, enforcement leaders, medicalpersonnel, prominent members of thebusiness community, and crash victimsor their surviving families.

To maintain the program’s visibilitythroughout the program period, frequentpress releases can report changingseat belt use rates, citation counts, orother indicators of activity. During theenforcement period, mediarepresentatives may be invited toobserve belt use checkpoints and otherenforcement activities.


Checkpoints are effective becausethey are highly visible, and notnecessarily because they result in theissuance of a large number ofcitations. Police can put signs on allpatrol vehicles, designating them asseat belt enforcement vehicles.Concentrating vehicles on high trafficcorridors enhances visibility andconveys the impression thatenforcement is intense. Officers, onevery contact, should tell motoriststhat occupant restraint laws are beingenforced, and they should commendmotorists who are using seat beltsand child safety seats.

Feedback Signs are a highlyeffective way to increase seat belt usein the context of a sTEP. Theseroadside signs, conspicuously postedon heavily traveled roads, frequentlyupdate belt use rates and the highrecord use rate. The signs remindmotorists about wearing their seat beltand imply a constant and vigorousenforcement presence. They becomepart of the publicity about thecommunity's usage goal and progresstoward that goal. The 1999 ElmirasTEP used 18 feedback signs inheavily traveled locations. Use rateswere updated every two days, startingthe week before enforcement beganand continuing throughout thecampaign.


Enforcement Strategies

The first action of the coordinatingenforcement agency is to develop asTEP enforcement plan, integratingthe efforts of all participatingagencies. The plan specifies specialenforcement activities by day of weekand time of day. Days, locations, andtimes should be staggered so thatvirtually all motorists, regardless ofwhen or where they drive, willencounter enforcement. Operationsconducted jointly with participatingagencies convey a unified enforce-ment presence and strengthen themessage.

Enforcement efforts may involvecheckpoints, saturation patrols,regular patrols, or a combination.The particular type of enforcementwill vary based on state laws, size ofagency, and staff resources. The goalin selecting enforcement strategies isto let residents know that there is nearcertainty of a ticket if they don't weartheir seat belt.

Checkpoints

Checkpoints are the most visible typeof occupant protection enforcement.Productivity is highest whencheckpoints are done in daylighthours and when officers are posted tospot violators before vehicles reachthe checkpoint location. Checkpointsshould be conducted on weekdaysand weekends, at different locations,and at different times of the day.

Saturation Patrols

Checkpoints may be supplementedwith saturation and foot patrols.

Saturation-type enforcement may benecessary in secondary law statesand in jurisdictions that do not permitcheckpoints.

Saturation patrols assign officers to adesignated area; this might includeposting officers at intersections alonga corridor, or assigning roving patrolsto an area of the city. They are agood strategy for several lawenforcement agencies workingtogether because a united front ispresented. Saturation enforcementmay be achieved by re-deployingofficers on regular shifts to aconcentrated area or by bringing inextra officers on overtime. Thepurpose is to raise the perception ofrisk among the public by making theenforcement activities highly visible.

Checkpoint Advantages

• Checkpoints offer theopportunity to make manycontacts with drivers in a shorttime period

• They usually earn a great dealof news coverage

• Occupant protection checkpointscan be performed successfullywith as few as two to four policeofficers

• Sometimes arrests are made forother criminal offenses

• Checkpoints involving severalenforcement agencies reinforcea unified enforcement image


Regular Patrols

Enforcement of seat belt and childpassenger safety laws should occuralso on regular patrols. During thesTEP enforcement blitz, all officersshould emphasize safety belts. Thisis particularly important for those lawenforcement agencies working instates where belt enforcement issecondary. Command staff and patrolsupervisors must emphasize toofficers working regular patrol thatenforcement of occupant restraintmust occur during every enforcementcontact.

Enforcement for Buckle Up NOW! in Chemung County

The two-week enforcement blitz conducted in Chemung County(population 92,000) included the following:

• 32 seat belt checkpoints conducted throughout the county in a 12-day period

• At least 3 checkpoints conducted each weekday

• 823 traffic tickets written

474 seat belt citations10 child restraint citations236 tickets for other non-moving violations103 citations for moving traffic violations

• 1 person arrested for DWI and 4 persons arrested for non-traffic-related crimes


Use Available Training

Officers working the sTEP will bemore effective and motivated ifproperly trained. Several courses areavailable.

NHTSA recently published a newtraining curriculum for enforcementofficers named Traffic OccupantProtection Strategies (TOPS). Thecourse encourages enforcementagencies to enforce occupantprotection laws, reach out to thecommunity with presentations andmedia messages, and have strongseat belt agency policies that insurehigh belt use among officers.

Operation Kids is a two-day workshopdeveloped jointly by NHTSA and theInternational Association of Chiefs ofPolice (IACP) It encourages officersto take a more personal, active role inpromoting child passenger safetythrough enhanced enforcement andcommunity education.

More advanced training in childpassenger safety is available througha new Child Passenger SafetyTechnician certification programdeveloped by NHTSA andadministered by AAA. The four-daytechnician course deals with safeinstallation of the many types of childsafety seats in vehicles with differentseat configurations and passengerrestraint systems. The courseprovides technical information andhands-on practice. An even morerigorous “train the trainer” certificationprogram is available.

"Officer training is key toimplementing an effectiveenforcement program. Officerswho understand seat belt and childsafety seat laws and the reasonswhy enforcement is so crucial toincreasing belt use are more likelyto earnestly and effectively carryout a seat belt enforcementprogram."

NHTSA, 2000

Each of the 10 NHTSA RegionalOffices has a Regional LawEnforcement Liaison (LEL). The LELworks with state highway safetyoffices and local law enforcementorganizations to increase active andvisible enforcement of seat belt andchild passenger safety laws. Moreinformation on any of these trainingprograms can be obtained from theLEL in your NHTSA Regional Office.


Using Data

Tracking the progress of the sTEPand reporting this progress to thecommunity achieve a heightenedperception of risk and provideaccountability to campaign sponsors.

A sTEP program should be tracked infour areas: seat belt use; enforcementactivity; publicity; and communityattitudes and perceptions.

Track Belt Use

Local observational surveys of seatbelt and child restraint use are integralto conducting a sTEP. Observationalsurveys determine the seat belt userate in the community shortly before thecampaign is kicked off and when it iscompleted. These surveys give allparties involved in the sTEP thesatisfaction that their work hasproduced results.

Conducting frequent or dailyobservations during the sTEP isnecessary for a feedback sign and fornews releases for frequent presscoverage during the campaign.

Routine periodic seat belt surveys cantrack trends in seat belt use, and signalthe need for another wave of specialenforcement. Documentation of theneed for special enforcement can behelpful both in securing funding to do itand in garnering the necessarycommunity support to do it well.

Since seat belt use frequently varies bylocation, sampling a sufficient numberof vehicles at each of multiple locationsis essential.

When conducting observationalsurveys:

• Conduct surveys exactly the sameway each time, using the samelocations, directions of travel, daysof the week, and times of day

• Train observers in the field andprovide them with a detailedschedule, a set of procedures, andeasy-to-use reporting forms

Typically, observers check the belt useof front seat occupants only, or in somecases, only drivers. It may be useful,however, to collect other informationlike child safety seat use, occupantcharacteristics, and vehicle type. Careshould be taken, though, to limit theamount of information to that which anobserver can record accurately duringthe brief observation of each vehicle.Observations of 100 vehicles at each ofseveral locations can be accomplishedvery quickly in locations with a constantflow of traffic.

Track Enforcement Activity

It is useful to track and reportenforcement results such as citationsfor seat belt and child passenger safetyviolations, citations for other motorvehicle offenses, and criminal arrests.The number of vehicles passingthrough checkpoints, dedicated patrolhours, and number of officersparticipating also document the effort.

Track Publicity

Tracking public information andeducation activity will indicate whatresources were used and how widelythe sTEP program reached.Newspaper clippings, number oftelevision, and radio mentions are someactivities that can be tracked.


Track Attitudes and Perceptions

Public opinion surveys can identifywhat was most effective in reachingthe public, determine longer-termshifts in attitudes and beliefs, andmeasure the level of communitysupport for enforcement. Self-reported seat belt use rates can beinformative, particularly as they revealcharacteristics of groups with low seatbelt usage and the reasons for notusing seat belts. This knowledge canbe helpful in defining and targetingeducational efforts.

Post-Enforcement Publicity

A press event at the end of a sTEPprogram is the ideal way to announcethe successes of your sTEP programto the community. Gather the lawenforcement officers, communityleaders, media, and the public toshare in the success.

Acknowledgement

It is important to recognize the effortsof everyone that helped and to honorthose who made outstandingcontributions. It is especiallygratifying to law enforcement officersto know that their efforts to enforcethe seat belt laws make a positivecontribution to the safety of thecommunity. It encourages officers tocontinue enforcement of the law ontheir daily patrols, long after thespecial enforcement period is over.


Timing sTEPs

Many states have chosen to runsTEPs spaced about three monthsapart. Seat belt use rates generallyincrease with each successive sTEP,but the amount of improvementdiminishes as more and more sTEPsare conducted. Apparently, specialenforcement becomes less "special"when repeated frequently. For someenforcement agencies, some sTEPcoordinators participating in theNHTSA-funded demonstrationprogram noted that as quarterlywaves progressed, it becameincreasingly difficult to obtain goodmedia coverage.

There is no scientific evidence thatless frequent repetitions of sTEPs aremore efficient or effective thanquarterly repetitions. Still, lessfrequent, but more intensive, sTEPs –with more consistent routine seat beltenforcement between sTEPs – mayyield more "bang for the buck" interms of increased seat belt usage.Although the publicity andenforcement efforts in the Buckle UpNOW sTEP in Elmira lasted only threeweeks, planning and preparing thepublicity materials began severalmonths before the program kick-off.

Timeline of Events Elmira

6/15/99 Hold initial meeting on roles and responsibilities, funding, overall program goals

7/15 Finalize roles and responsibilities, overall schedule, program elements and contract with a public relations firm

8/2 Specify media mix to carry theme

8/10 Develop campaign theme

8/11 Meet with enforcement agencies to discuss enforcement plan and agency roles

8/16 Schedule pre-program presentations to service organizations, editorial boards, and other community groups

8/20 Write copy for news releases, mock tickets, banners, print ads, radio ads, posters, magnetic car door signs, fact-sheets

8/27 Establish relationships with participating law enforcement agencies for overtime services

9/1 Create media schedules specifying media mix and placement of advertisements

9/17 Book all paid time (radio) and space (print),schedule enforcement including overtime coordinated across all agencies, and develop earned publicity plan

9/24 Pre-program presentations to community groups

9/24 Produce mock ticket pieces, banners, print ads, radio ads, posters, car door signs

9/30 Conduct baseline belt use observations

10/1 Begin daily belt use observations for feed back signs

10/4 Hold initial press conference, distribute mock tickets, hang banners and posters, begin advertising and publicity, and unveil feedback signs

10/11 Begin enforcement, hold media event to highlight enforcement kickoff, monitor belt use rates and number of tickets issued

10/22 Achieve 90% Belt Use

10/25 Announce results to press, thank all participants


Overall Statewide Effort

Community sTEPs are a powerful toolfor increasing seat belt use. However,they are most effective whenconducted within the context of astatewide comprehensive occupantrestraint program.

In developing a comprehensiveprogram, states should consider thatstatewide belt use rates are relatedboth to the state's belt use law and toenforcement of that law. Higher beltuse rates are associated with:

• Primary laws versus secondarylaws

• Laws that cover trucks, vans, andutility vehicles versus laws thatcover only passenger cars

• Laws that provide higher fines

• Higher levels of ticketing

sTEP enforcement is most effectivewithin a state that has a strongprimary enforcement law. sTEPs areused successfully in secondaryenforcement situations, but intensiveand direct publicity about enforcementis even more critical in increasing theperception of risk. Alerting the publicthat the police will be issuing seat beltcitations at every stop will send themessage that seat belts are important.

sTEP programs can raise belt use

rates more substantially and morequickly than any other currentlyavailable program. sTEP enforcementshould be coordinated with ongoingstatewide “wave” programs and withnational buckle-up activities to booststatewide belt usage. sTEPs still willrequire substantial resourcesdeployed within a defined community.In developing a statewide occupantrestraint use plan, states shouldconsider implementing sTEPprograms in well-defined communitiesthat are committed to taking a highvisibility, proactive approach to beltuse and are willing to continue seatbelt enforcement between specialprograms.


Appendices


Appendix A - Sample Seat Belt Survey Directions

• Each observation session is one hour. The schedule will allow fifteen minutes to movefrom one observation site to the next. During each session, you will observe traffic at adesignated intersection. You will be given a daily schedule and a set of maps; the dailyschedule will tell you the day of week, time of day, location, and direction of traffic toobserve (north/south or east/west). It is critically important that you follow the scheduleeach day. It is equally important to re-visit each designated location at the same time ofday. Therefore, plan ahead and follow a schedule each time you do a survey.

Each session is divided into two 30-minute segments. As designated in the schedule,during the first 30 minutes you will observe traffic moving either north or east, and dur-ing the second 30-minute segment you will observe traffic moving either south or west.

The following procedures will be used in conducting belt use observations:

• Eligible vehicles must have only four tires. Exclude vehicles with more than four tires;emergency vehicles; any vehicles with mounted colored lights; government vehicles ortaxis.

• As shown on your site map, at each intersection you will observe traffic going north/eastand south/west. You will observe only the traffic in the lane nearest you.

• When the light is red, observe as many stopped vehicles as possible, walking down theline of stopped vehicles to conduct the observations. Begin with the first vehicle in thenearest lane, and then move to the second vehicle, the third, etc., until the lightchanges.

• When the light is green, you will be given a reference point (noted on your map) tochoose the vehicles to observe. To begin the observations when the light turns green,select the first vehicle passing the reference point to observe. When that vehicle hasbeen observed and the information recorded, select the next vehicle passing the refer-ence point, etc.

• Observe all drivers. Also observe front-seat passengers 7 years old or older. Do notobserve passengers who are six years old or younger or children riding in child safetyseats. Use your best judgment to estimate a child's age. If unsure of passenger beltuse, place a question mark in a passenger box for that observation.

• Observe shoulder belt use only; do not observe use of lap belts

• Indicate observed belt use with a checkmark for “Y” (yes), “N” (no), or “I” (incorrect). “I”(incorrect) is used if the belt is behind the person's back or under the person's arm.

• Following the daily schedule, observe 100 vehicles or 30 minutes, whichever comesfirst, on the north or east side of the street. Then cross to other side of the street andobserve the south or west traffic, observing 100 vehicles or 30 minutes, whichevercomes first.

• Observations should be conducted in light rain or drizzle, but not a hard rain or down-pour. If it rains during the scheduled observations but later clears up, conduct theobservations later in the day but be careful to note the time change and reason on thedata forms.


Appendix A - Sample Seat Belt Survey Data Collection Form

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Appendix A - Sample sTEP Enforcement Activity Report Form

Host Agency: _______________________________________________

Contact Person: _____________________________ Phone: ____________

Enforcement Information

Type of Enforcement: ________________________________________________(e.g., Checkpoint, Saturation, Other)

Date of Activity: ____________ Start Time: ____________ End Time: ____________

Location: _______________________________________________________

Participating Agencies: Number of Officers/Officer Hours:

____________________________________ ______________/____________

____________________________________ ______________/____________

____________________________________ ______________/____________

Please describe significant incidents, including any non-traffic arrests, resulting from checkpoint.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Number PersonsViolations Number Tickets ArrestedSeat BeltChild RestraintSpeedOther Moving ViolationsNon-Moving ViolationsDWI/DWAI - RelatedNon-Traffic MisdemeanorNon-Traffic Felony


Appendix B - NHTSA Resources

Regional Administrators

REGION I (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)Volpe National Transportation SystemsCenterKendall Square, Code 903Cambridge, MA 02142Phone 617/494-3427Fax 617/494-3646

REGION II (NY, NJ, PR, VI)222 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 204White Plains, NY 10605Phone 914/682-6162Fax 914/682-6239

REGION III (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)10 South Howard StreetSuite 4000Baltimore, MD 21201Phone 410/962-0077Fax 410/962-2770

REGION IV (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)Atlanta Federal CenterSuite 17T30Atlanta, GA 30303Phone 404/562-3739Fax 404/562-3763

REGION V (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)19900 Governors Drive Suite 201Olympia Fields, IL 60461Phone 708/503-8822Fax 708/503-8991

REGION VI (AR, LA, NM, OK,INDIAN NATIONS)819 Taylor Street, Room 8A38Fort Worth, TX 76102-6177Phone 817/334-3653Fax 817/334-8339

REGION VII (IA, KS, MO, NE)6301 Rockhill Road, Room 100Kansas City, MO 64131Phone 816/822-7233Fax 816/822-2069

REGION VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)555 Zang Street, 4th FloorLakewood, CO 80228Phone 303/969-6917Fax: 303/969-6294

REGION IX (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AMERICANSAMOA, GUAM, NORTHERN MARIANAISLANDS)201 Mission Street, Suite 2230San Francisco, CA 94105Phone 415/744-3089Fax 415/744-2532

REGION X (AK, ID, OR, WA)3140 Jackson Federal Building915 Second StreetSeattle, WA 98174Phone 206/220-7640Fax 206/220-7651

Federal Resources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration400 Seventh Street, SWWashington, DC 20590Phone 800/424-9393 (Auto Safety Hotline)Web site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

achieving a high seat belt use rate - nhtsa.gov · 8 steps to achieving a high belt use rate $...

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