“Buckle Up NOW!” An Enforcement Program to Achieve High Belt Use

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Abstract

In the mid-1980s, the first formal seat-belt enforcement program in the United States was conducted in Elmira, NY. Front seat-belt use increased from 49% to 80%, and the Elmira program became a model for other such programs. In the spring of 1999, the New York State Police launched a statewide seat-belt enforcement campaign, and the Elmira program was revived as part of this effort. This 3-week program was coordinated by the Chemung County Sheriff's Office, and carried out in cooperation with local police departments as well as the state police. The earlier Elmira program emphasized the health and safety benefits of seat belts and warning periods prior to tickets being issued. The 1999 program featured a strong no-excuses, no-warning enforcement message, 32 belt-use checkpoints, and publicity about the enforcement through a variety of mechanisms, including feedback signs that informed motorists of current belt use rates. Front seat-belt use increased from 69% to 90%. Public opinion surveys indicated the program was well known to Elmira residents, and had the support of 79% of those polled. The 1999 Elmira program demonstrates that high-intensity enforcement programs can increase seat-belt use to very high levels with strong community support.

Introduction

Between 1984 and 1995, all U.S. states except New Hampshire enacted laws requiring motor-vehicle occupants to use seat belts. The laws have resulted in substantial increases in seat-belt use, but the overall belt use rate in the United States, currently estimated at 69% (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1999), remains lower than the use rates of 90% or more achieved in Canada, Australia, Germany, and other northern European countries (European Transport Safety Council, 1996; Transport Canada, 1999). There are several reasons for this lag in the United States, including relatively low penalties for nonuse and that in more than two-thirds of the states noncomplying motorists can be cited only if stopped for a separate violation.

An important factor determining the success of belt use laws is the extent to which they are enforced. Canada has led the way in demonstrating that well-publicized short-term enforcement programs can dramatically increase belt use, and that much of these gains can be maintained over time. Several years after provincial belt use laws went into effect, belt use rates were only about 50%. Several Canadian provinces subsequently initiated enforcement programs Jonah et al. 1982, Lamb 1982, Manduca 1983, Jonah & Grant 1985. These programs varied considerably, but all involved intensive well-publicized enforcement that resulted in a surge in the number of citations issued. Many of these programs were continued over time, and are thought to be the main reason for the increase in provincial belt use rates to the current level of 92%.

Special enforcement programs to increase seat belt use also have been carried out in the United States. The first such program was in Elmira, a small city in New York State Williams et al. 1987a, Williams et al. 1987b. New York, in 1984, was the first state to enact a belt use law. Unlike many other states, New York allows standard enforcement—that is, a motorist can be stopped and cited solely for the offense of not using a seat belt. Also, in New York, there is a maximum fine of $50, compared with fines of $10–$25 in most states (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2000).

Prior to the 1984 law, belt use in Elmira was 14% for drivers and right-front passengers. Belt use increased to 62% in January 1985, the first month the law was enforced, and dropped to 52% in April 1985. A 3-week publicity and enforcement program in the fall of 1985 increased belt use from 49% to 77% (Williams et al., 1987a). Belt use increased again to 80% after a reminder program in April 1986 (Williams et al., 1987b).

The Elmira program became a model for other special enforcement efforts carried out in the United States. Most of the early programs were conducted in cities Lund, Stuster, & Fleming 1989, Mortimer, Goldsteen, Armstrong, & Marcina 1990, although North Carolina in 1993 began a long-term statewide program (“Click It or Ticket”) based on the Elmira model that increased belt use from 64% to as high as 83% (Williams, Reinfurt, & Wells, 1996). National enforcement campaigns sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign also have resulted in increased belt use New York State Police 1999a, New York State Police 1999b.

New York had a statewide belt use rate of 57% in 1985, the first year of the law, that increased to 71% by 1993, and 75% in 1998 (New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, 2000). In the spring of 1999, the New York State Police launched a statewide program, “Buckle Up New York,” sponsored by the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign, in an effort to increase belt use to levels achieved in neighboring Ontario (91%) and Quebec (93%), Canada.

Because of its history of seat-belt use, Elmira was selected as a jurisdiction that could be a model for the statewide program. Accordingly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety cosponsored an intensive 3-week enforcement campaign in Elmira in the fall of 1999. Within the context of the statewide campaign, the Elmira “Buckle Up NOW!” program introduced and integrated all the elements known to produce higher belt use. Although this program integrated the programmatic elements proven to be successful, the intensity of the enforcement and publicity, the emphasis of the publicity on enforcement, and the program's brevity set it apart from many prior programs.

Many of the 1980s' enforcement programs emphasized the health and safety benefits of seat-belt use, and featured warning periods prior to tickets being issued. Since that period, there has been growing public acceptance of belt use laws and their enforcement. In response to this changing public attitude, the 1999 Elmira program featured a strong no-excuses, no-warnings enforcement message that incorporated formation of a community coalition spearheaded by enforcement leaders, intensive publicity with an enforcement message, highly publicized zero-tolerance enforcement of the primary belt use law, careful sequencing of high-intensity multiple program elements, and feedback to the community on enforcement results and progress toward the belt use goal.

Section snippets

Methods

The Chemung County Sheriff's Office coordinated the program, which was carried out in cooperation with the police departments of the City of Elmira, Town of Elmira, villages of Elmira Heights, Southport, and Horseheads, as well as the New York State Police. The mayor of Elmira and other city and county officials endorsed the program.

The 3-week program was conducted during October 4–22, 1999. The first week was devoted to publicity about the upcoming intensified enforcement campaign. The

Results

Police issued 474 tickets for seat-belt violations during the 2-week enforcement period—432 at checkpoints, the rest during patrol activities. As a result of the enforcement, 349 other violations also were charged (primarily unlicensed drivers, unregistered vehicles, equipment violations, and expired inspection stickers), and there were two marijuana possession charges, one family court warrant arrest, one driving under the influence, and one criminal weapons possession charge.

Shoulder-belt use

Discussion

The seat-belt use rate for front-seat occupants in Elmira increased during the 3 weeks to 90%, 27 percentage points higher than the preprogram use rate and higher than reported statewide seat-belt use rates in the United States. This shows the power of enforcement programs, especially when the enforcement is vigorous and accompanied by a strong publicity effort about the enforcement that reaches a large segment of the target population.

It is well known that enforcement efforts of this type can

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Allan F. Williams is Senior Vice President for Research with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; he holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University.

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Allan F. Williams is Senior Vice President for Research with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; he holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University.

JoAnn K. Wells is Senior Research Analyst with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; she holds a BS from Emmanuel College.

Anne T. McCartt is Senior Associate with Preusser Research Group, Inc.; she holds a PhD in Public Administration from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

David F. Preusser is President of Preusser Research Group, Inc.; he holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Yale University.

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