Effect on fatality risk of changing from secondary to primary seat belt enforcement

Abstract

Background: Most seat belt use laws originally passed in the United States contained language

Seat Belt Use Among American Indians/Alaska Natives and Non-Hispanic Whites

“…9,10,12,13 Primary laws, which allow an officer to stop and ticket occupants solely because they are unrestrained, have been shown to increase seatbelt use by as much as 22%, 10 and reduce fatality by as much as 7%. 12 Secondary laws, which permit a citation for lack of restraint use only if a motorist has been stopped for another reason, have been shown to increase seatbelt use as much as 11%. 10 One NHTSA study showed that primary laws increase seatbelt use on reservations.…”

Reducing traffic fatalities in the American States by upgrading seat belt use laws to primary enforcement

“…Alcohol consumption tends to be correlated with drinking-and-driving, which contributes to higher motor vehicle fatality rates (Asch & Levy, 1987;Legge & Park, 1994). Conversely, the unemployment rate and population density are negatively correlated with motor vehicle fatalities (Houston et al, 1995(Houston et al, , 1996Farmer & Williams, 2005). Finally, some scholars have argued that individuals with higher incomes place a higher value on time so they drive faster, thereby increasing the number of crash fatalities (Peltzman, 1975;Zlatoper, 1984).…”

“…A single-state time series analysis found the monthly nonfatal injury rate dropped by 5 percent after California switched to primary enforcement, but the fatality rate did not change (Houston & Richardson, 2002). In contrast, Farmer and Williams (2005) conclude states that switched from secondary to primary enforcement experienced a 7 percent reduction in the driver fatality rate. They employ cross-sectional time series regression analysis to examine the experience of 9 states and D.C. that upgraded during the period [1989][1990][1991][1992][1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003], and compare these states to 14 states that had secondary enforcement throughout this time period.…”

Helmets Matter: Kentucky Motorcycle Crash Victims Seen at a Tennessee Trauma Center

“…The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's systematic review of 13 high-quality studies (Shults, Nichols, Dinh-Zarr, Sleet, & Elder, 2004) found that primary laws increase belt use by about 14 percentage points and reduce occupant fatalities by about 8% compared to secondary laws. In another study, Farmer and Williams (2005) found that passenger vehicle driver death rates dropped by 7% when States changed from secondary to primary enforcement. On average, States that pass primary seat belt laws can expect to increase seat belt use by eight percentage points.…”