Restraint use (seat belt and child passenger seat) survey

              Restraint Use ( Seat Belt and
Child Passenger Seat) Survey
Final Report 670
Prepared by:
Behavior Research Center, Inc.
45 E Monterey Way
Phoenix, AZ 85012
December 2008
Prepared for:
Arizona Department of Transportation
206 South 17th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
in cooperation with the
U. S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and
the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official
views or policies of the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Federal Highway
Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Trade or
manufacturers' names which may appear herein are cited only because they are considered
essential to the objectives of the report. The U. S. Government and the State of Arizona do not
endorse products or manufacturers.
Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.:
FHWA- AZ- 08- 670
2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Restraint Use ( seat belt and child passenger seat) Survey
5. Report Date:
December 2008
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Authors:
Bruce Hernandez
8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Behavior Research Center, Inc.
45 E Monterey Way
Phoenix, AZ 85012
10. Work Unit No.
11. Contract or Grant No.
SPR- PL- 1-( 73) 670
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Arizona Department of Transportation
206 South 17th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85007
13. Type of Report & Period Covered
Final Report
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes:
Prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway
Administration
16. Abstract
In Arizona, lack of restraint usage ( seat belts and child passenger seats) was a contributing factor to
an average of 687 fatalities per year which is nearly 60% of total fatalities. These tragic statistics
could be dramatically decreased if effective strategies and educational messages encouraged more
people to buckle up. Due to the great opportunity to save lives, increasing restraint usage has been
identified as one of five key emphasis areas of Arizona’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
Arizona has seen a restraint usage rate of approximately 80% for the last several years as reported
through the annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey ( NOPUS). Although there is a good
understanding of the reported seat belt usage, there is not a good understanding of who is not using
seatbelts and why. To develop effective strategies and education messages to improve seat belt
usage, there needs to be a better understanding of these factors.
The objectives of this research were to 1) conduct a survey to identify why ( or why not) people in
Arizona use seatbelts and 2) develop criteria and provide recommendations on the most effective
means to get drivers to buckle up.
17. Key Words
Fatal crashes, restraint use, seat belts, child
passenger seats, safety survey
18. Distribution Statement
Document is available to the
U. S. public through the
National Technical Information
Service, Springfield, Virginia
22161
23. Registrant’s Seal
19. Security Classification
Unclassified
20. Security Classification
Unclassified
21. No. of Pages
32
22. Price
SI* ( MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS
APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS TO SI UNITS APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS FROM SI UNITS
Symbol When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol Symbol When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol
LENGTH LENGTH
in inches 25.4 millimeters mm mm millimeters 0.039 inches in
ft feet 0.305 meters m m meters 3.28 feet ft
yd yards 0.914 meters m m meters 1.09 yards yd
mi miles 1.61 kilometers km km kilometers 0.621 miles mi
AREA AREA
in2 square inches 645.2 square millimeters mm2 mm2 Square millimeters 0.0016 square inches in2
ft2 square feet 0.093 square meters m2 m2 Square meters 10.764 square feet ft2
yd2 square yards 0.836 square meters m2 m2 Square meters 1.195 square yards yd2
ac acres 0.405 hectares ha ha hectares 2.47 acres ac
mi2 square miles 2.59 square kilometers km2 km2 Square kilometers 0.386 square miles mi2
VOLUME VOLUME
fl oz fluid ounces 29.57 milliliters mL mL milliliters 0.034 fluid ounces fl oz
gal gallons 3.785 liters L L liters 0.264 gallons gal
ft3 cubic feet 0.028 cubic meters m3 m3 Cubic meters 35.315 cubic feet ft3
yd3 cubic yards 0.765 cubic meters m3 m3 Cubic meters 1.308 cubic yards yd3
NOTE: Volumes greater than 1000L shall be shown in m3.
MASS MASS
oz ounces 28.35 grams g g grams 0.035 ounces oz
lb pounds 0.454 kilograms kg kg kilograms 2.205 pounds lb
T short tons ( 2000lb) 0.907 megagrams
( or “ metric ton”)
mg
( or “ t”)
mg megagrams
( or “ metric ton”)
1.102 short tons ( 2000lb) T
TEMPERATURE ( exact) TEMPERATURE ( exact)
º F Fahrenheit
temperature
5( F- 32)/ 9
or ( F- 32)/ 1.8
Celsius temperature º C º C Celsius temperature 1.8C + 32 Fahrenheit
temperature
º F
ILLUMINATION ILLUMINATION
fc foot candles 10.76 lux lx lx lux 0.0929 foot- candles fc
fl foot- Lamberts 3.426 candela/ m2 cd/ m2 cd/ m2 candela/ m2 0.2919 foot- Lamberts fl
FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS
lbf poundforce 4.45 newtons N N newtons 0.225 poundforce lbf
lbf/ in2 poundforce per
square inch
6.89 kilopascals kPa kPa kilopascals 0.145 poundforce per
square inch
lbf/ in2
SI is the symbol for the International System of Units. Appropriate rounding should be made to comply with Section 4 of ASTM E380
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ . 1
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... .................... 4
METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................... .................. 4
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS .............................................................................................................. 8
REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS.............................................................................................. 8
SEAT BELT UTILIZATION ........................................................................................................................ 11
SEAT BELT USE PATTERNS WHEN CHILDREN IN VEHICLE................................................................... 15
AWARENESS OF CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW .......................................................................................... 18
POSITION ON STRENGTHENING SEAT BELT LAW .................................................................................. 19
MISCELLANEOUS ATTITUDES ABOUT SEAT BELT USE.......................................................................... 22
CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................... .................... 24
APPENDIX: RESTRAINT USE SURVEY.............................................................................................. 25
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................... ..................... 28
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: GEOGRAPHIC SAMPLING AREAS – PROPORTIONATE/ DISPROPORTIONATE.... 5
TABLE 2: GEOGRAPHIC SAMPLING AREAS – WEIGHTED/ UNWEIGHTED............................... 6
TABLE 3: SAMPLING ERROR AT 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL........................................................ 7
TABLE 4: SAMPLE PROFILE OF DRIVERS........................................................................................ 7
TABLE 5A: TOP- OF- THE- MIND REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS - SELF............... 8
TABLE 5B: TOP- OF- THE- MIND REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS - OTHERS........ 9
TABLE 6A: REASONS PERSONALLY DO NOT WEAR SEAT BELTS ............................................ 10
TABLE 6B: REASONS OTHERS DO NOT WEAR SEAT BELTS ...................................................... 10
TABLE 7A: SEAT BELT UTILIZATION AS A DRIVER......................................................................... 11
TABLE 7B: SEAT BELT UTILIZATION AS A PASSENGER............................................................... 12
TABLE 8 REQUIRE ALL PASSENGERS TO WEAR SEAT BELT ................................................. 13
TABLE 9: REASONS INSIST/ DO NOT INSIST PASSENGERS WEAR SEAT BELTS................ 14
TABLE 10: REQUIRE CHILDREN UNDER AGE FIVE TO BE RESTRAINED ................................ 15
TABLE 11: REQUIRE CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO NINE TO BE RESTRAINED............................ 16
TABLE 12: TYPE OF RESTRAINTS CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO NINE REQUIRED TO WEAR . 17
TABLE 13: AWARENESS OF CURRENT ARIZONA SEAT BELT LAW........................................... 18
TABLE 14: POSITION ON STRENGTHENING CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW................................ 19
TABLE 15: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER EXPANDED SEAT BELT LAW
WOULD BE EFFECTIVE .................................................................................................... 20
TABLE 16: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER EXPANDED SEAT BELT LAW
WOULD LEAD TO RACIAL PROFILING.......................................................................... 21
TABLE 17: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER MORE TICKETS FOR NON- USE
WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE SEAT BELT USE........................................................... 22
TABLE 18: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER MEDIA ADS ENCOURAGE SEAT BELT USE.......... 23
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1. SEAT BELT UTILIZATION .......................................................................................... 1
FIGURE 2. SEAT BELT USE PATTERNS WHEN CHILDREN IN VEHICLE ................................ 2
FIGURE 3. AWARENESS OF CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW........................................................ 2
FIGURE 4. POSITION ON STRENGTHENING SEAT BELT LAW................................................ 3
LIST OF ACRONYMS
ADOT Arizona Department of Transportation
BRC Behavior Research Center
EPSEM Equal Probability Selection Method
GHSA Governors’ Highway Safety Association
GOHS Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NOPUS National Occupant Protection Use Survey
RDD Random Digital Dial
TAC Technical Advisory Committee
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This study was commissioned by the Arizona Department of Transportation’s
Transportation Research Center for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of
why some Arizona drivers do not wear seat belts. The information contained in this
study is based on 600 in- depth telephone interviews conducted with Arizona drivers
between October 22 and November 9, 2008.
The key findings of this research can be summarized as follows:
REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS: Based on a variety of questions asked during
this effort, it appears that above and beyond personal choice, the primary reasons for
not wearing seat belts are…
- BASIC LAZINESS ON THE PART OF THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS.
- A BELIEF THAT SEAT BELTS ARE NOT NECESSARY ON SHORT TRIPS.
- A FEELING THAT SEAT BELTS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE.
These reasons closely mirror those reported nationally in the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration’s 2007 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey.
SEAT BELT UTILIZATION: Figure 1 shows that 88% of Arizona drivers report that they
“ always” wear a seat belt when they are the driver of a passenger vehicle, while 10%
indicate they “ sometimes” wear a seat belt and 2% indicate they “ never” wear a seat
belt. The 88% “ always” reading recorded in this study is somewhat higher than the 81%
driver seat belt use reading recorded in the 2008 Arizona Seat Belt/ Motorcycle
Helmet/ Child Restraint Use Survey. This annual observational survey, which consists of
14,000 to 15,000 direct observations of Arizona drivers at 127 sites in six counties, is
conducted for the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and is considered the benchmark
on seat belt use.
FIGURE 1. SEAT BELT UTILIZATION
88%
10%
2%
84%
12%
4%
Always Some- Rarely/ Always Some- Rarely/
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
times Never times Never
As a Driver As a Passenger
2
97%
2% 1%
91%
6%
3%
Always Some- Never Always Some- Never
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
times times
Children Under Five Children Five to Nine
Those drivers who are most likely to not “ always” wear a seat belt are Hispanics ( 21%),
rural residents ( 20%), less- educated drivers ( 18%), males ( 17%) and younger drivers
( 16%). However, due to the sample sizes only the readings for rural residents and males
can be said to be statistically significant. Thus, this research can not be said to reveal
cultural differences in seat belt use by drivers.
Seat belt usage by drivers when they ride as passengers is similar although slightly
lower that the 88% figure recorded when they are the drivers, with 84% indicating they
“ always” wear a seat belt when they ride as a passenger.
SEAT BELT USE PATTERNS WHEN CHILDREN ARE IN THE VEHICLE: Figure 2 shows 97% of
drivers reveal that they always “ require” that their passengers under five years old be
restrained while 91% “ always” require that their passengers from ages five to nine be
restrained.
FIGURE 2. SEAT BELT USE PATTERNS WHEN CHILDREN IN VEHICLE
AWARENESS OF CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW: Figure 3 shows 81% of drivers believe
Arizona has a law that requires all passengers to wear a seat belt, while 10% are not
sure. Nine percent of drivers say the state does not have a law.
FIGURE 3. AWARENESS OF CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW
28.091 C- 3
Not sure ( 10%)
No, doesn’t
have a law ( 9%)
Yes, has a law ( 81%)
3
POSITION ON STRENGTHENING SEAT BELT LAW: As shown in Figure 4, a majority of
Arizona drivers ( 61%) favor changing the state’s seat belt law to allow peace officers to
stop vehicles and issue citations to drivers simply for not wearing a seat belt, while 32%
oppose such a change and 7% are unsure. The data also reveals that 66% of drivers
think an expanded law would be effective in encouraging more people to wear seat
belts, while 64% do not believe an expanded law would lead to racial profiling.
FIGURE 4. POSITION ON STRENGTHING SEAT BELT LAW
Not sure ( 7%)
Oppose ( 32%)
Favor ( 61%)
28.091 C- 4
MISCELLANEOUS ATTITUDES ABOUT SEAT BELT USE: The final information generated in
this study reveals that:
– Three out of four drivers ( 73%) think more police officers writing tickets for
non- use of seat belts would encourage more use.
– Two out of three drivers ( 66%) think television and radio ads encouraging
seat belt use would result in more use.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the information generated in this research and the fact that a primary objective
of this effort was to provide recommendations on the most effective means to get drivers
to buckle up, the Behavior Research Center offers the following comments:
Enact a primary seat belt law in Arizona. The number one step that could be taken to
increase seat belt use in Arizona is for the state to become a Primary Enforcement Seat
Belt Law state. While this process is difficult and can be costly, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration’s annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey reveals
that seat belt use in primary law states greatly exceeds use in secondary law states such
as Arizona – 88% vs. 75% in 2008. This research shows that support for Arizona
becoming a primary law state is strong with 61% favoring a change to a primary law
state and only 32% opposing.
Educate Arizona residents on the importance of seat belt use. Going hand in hand
with stricter enforcement, which would be possible as a primary law state, is the need to
incorporate these survey results into developing educational and marketing strategies
that will increase the restraint use by Arizonans.. Both earned media and paid media
campaigns such as “ Click It or Ticket” should be utilized in this effort, which needs to be
targeted at those population groups that reveal the greatest propensity to not wear seat
belts: rural drivers, males, Hispanics, less educated drivers, and young drivers.
4
INTRODUCTION
This study was commissioned by the Arizona Department of Transportation’s
Transportation Research Center for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of
why some Arizona drivers do not wear seat belts. More specifically, this project
addressed the following issues:
• Reasons for not wearing seat belts
• Seat belt utilization
• Seat belt use patterns when children are in the vehicle
• Awareness of current seat belt laws
• Position on strengthening seat belt laws
• Miscellaneous attitudes about seat belt use
The information contained in this report is based on 600 in- depth interviews conducted
with a wide cross- section of Arizona drivers. All of the interviewing on this project was
conducted via telephone by professional interviewers of the Behavior Research Center
( BRC) between October 22 and November 9, 2008. For a detailed explanation of the
procedures followed during this project, please refer to the Methodology section.
The BRC has presented all of the data germane to the basic research objectives of this
project. Several tables were generated that provide a summary of the survey results,
expressed primarily in percent of responses, for a particular question or set of questions.
For each table, the survey question is cited along with the specific question number from
the actual survey, which is located in the Appendix
METHODOLOGY
The information contained in this report was gathered from in- depth telephone interviews
with 600 Arizona drivers. A sample of this size was used because it provides a good
representation of Arizona’s over four million licensed drivers and allows for meaningful
analysis by key demographic subgroups ( gender, age, area, etc.) Further, a dispro-portionate,
stratified sample was used on this project to generate sampling errors of not
more than +/- 5.8 percent at a 95 percent confidence level for urban and rural drivers.
In Table 1 the “ Proportionate Driver Sample” shows the number of samples of urban and
rural drivers that would have represented these proportions in a sample size of 600,
along with their associated margin of error. To keep the margin of error consistent
among sampling areas, 300 samples were used for both the urban and rural populations
as shown in the “ Disproportionate Driver Sample” columns. Consequently, the final
survey results were weighted to account for the percent of rural and urban drivers in the
state shown in Table 2.
Households were selected for survey from a computer- generated pure unweighted equal
probability selection method ( EPSEM) random digit dial ( RDD) telephone sample which
selects households on the basis of telephone prefix. This ensured that unlisted and
newly listed telephone numbers were included in the sample. A pre- identification
screening process was also used. This computer procedure screens the sample to
5
TABLE 1: GEOGRAPHIC SAMPLING AREAS – PROPORTIONATE/ DISPROPORTIONATE
PROPORTIONATE
DRIVER SAMPLE
DISPROPORTIONATE
DRIVER SAMPLE
GEOGRAPHIC
SAMPLING AREA
Number
+/- M. E.*
NUMBER
+/- M. E.*
Urban Arizona ( Maricopa, Pima Counties) 453 4.7% 300 5.8%
Rural Arizona ( Remainder of State) 147 8.2% 300 5.8%
TOTAL 600 4.1% 600 4.1%
* M. E. denotes margin of error
remove known business and commercial telephone prefixes, in addition to disconnects,
faxes, and computers. This process is largely successful in limiting contacts to
residential telephones.
A most recent birthday technique was used to select respondents. The interviews were
conducted with the licensed driver in the household 16 years or over with the most
recent birthday. This selection method has been demonstrated to be technically superior
to other selection methods.
This survey employed a multi- stage sampling process. The first step stratified the
subarea samples according to the current population residing in each area. Telephone
households were then selected within those areas using the RDD methodology. A
probability sample developed in this manner samples proportionately relative to an
area’s distribution of the population. This strengthens the ability of the sample to be
compared with census data and other demographic information.
The questionnaire utilized on this study was designed by BRC in consultation with the
project’s Technical Advisory Committee ( TAC). After BRC had designed the study
questionnaire, it was submitted to the TAC for review and preliminary approval. Upon
preliminary approval of the questionnaire, it was translated into Spanish and both the
English and Spanish versions were pre- tested with respondents from the sample
universe. The pre- test focused on the value and understandability of the questions,
adequacy of response categories, questions for which explanations might be required,
and the like. Following this process, no changes were made in the questionnaire and it
received final TAC approval.
The interviews for this project were conducted between October 22 and November 9,
2008, at the BRC’s computer- assisted telephone interviewing facility, where each
interviewer worked under the direct supervision of BRC supervisory personnel. All of the
interviewers who worked on this project were professional interviewers of the center.
Each had prior experience with BRC and received a thorough briefing on the particulars
of this study. During the briefing, the interviewers were trained on ( a) the purpose of the
study, ( b) sampling procedures, ( c) administration of the questionnaire, and ( d) other
project- related factors. In addition, each interviewer completed a set of practice
interviews to ensure that all procedures were understood and followed.
6
Interviewing for this study was done during an approximately equal cross- section of late
afternoon, evening, and weekend hours. This procedure was followed to further ensure
that all drivers were equally represented, regardless of work schedules. Further, during
the interviewing segment of this study, up to five separate attempts — on different days
and during different times of day — were made to contact each selected driver. Only
after five unsuccessful attempts was a selected driver substituted in the sample. Using
this methodology, the full sample was completed. Partially completed interviews were
not accepted nor counted toward fulfillment of the total sample quotas. Twenty- eight
interviews were conducted in Spanish during this project.
One hundred percent of the completed interviews were edited and any containing errors
of administration were pulled, the respondent re- called, and the errors corrected. In
addition, 15 percent of each interviewer’s work was randomly selected for validation to
ensure its authenticity and correctness. No problems were encountered during the
phase of interviewing quality control.
As the data collection segment of this study was undertaken, completed and validated
interviews were turned over to BRC’s in- house Coding Department. Upon completion of
coding, a series of validity and logic checks were run on the data to ensure it was “ clean”
and representative of the sample universe. Following this procedure, the study data was
“ weighted” prior to generating any detailed tables. This process was necessary to make
the final sample geographically representative of the study universe. In other words, the
sample data was weighted in proportion to Arizona’s population where approximately
75.5% of the residents live in urban areas and 24.5% in rural areas as shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2: GEOGRAPHIC SAMPLING AREAS – WEIGHTED/ UNWEIGHTED
GEOGRAPHIC
SAMPLING AREA
UNWEIGHTED
WEIGHTED
Urban Arizona ( Maricopa, Pima Counties) 50.0% 75.5%
Rural Arizona ( Remainder of State) 50.0% 24.5%
100.0% 100.0%
All surveys are subject to sampling error. Sampling error, stated simply, is the difference
between the results obtained from a sample and those which would be obtained by
surveying the entire population under consideration. The size of sampling error varies to
some extent with the number of interviews completed and with the division of opinion on
a particular question.
An estimate of the sampling error range for this study is provided in the following table.
The sampling error presented in the table has been calculated at the confidence level
most frequently used by social scientists, the 95% level. The sampling error figures
shown in the table are average figures that represent the maximum error for the sample
bases shown ( i. e., for the survey findings where the division of opinion is approximately
50% / 50%). Survey findings that show a more one- sided distribution of opinion, such as
70% / 30% or 90% / 10%, are usually subject to slightly lower sampling tolerances than
those shown in the table.
7
As may be seen in Table 3, the overall sampling error for this study is approximately
± 4.1 percent for the total state and ± 5.8 percent within each geographic area when the
samples are studied in total ( i. e., all 600 cases or in all 300 cases). However, when
subsets of the total samples are studied, the amount of sampling error increases based
on the sample size within the subset.
TABLE 3: SAMPLING ERROR AT 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL
Sample
Size
Approximate Sampling
Error At A 95% Confidence
Level ( Plus/ Minus Percentage
Of Sampling Tolerance)
600 4.1%
500 4.5%
400 5.0%
300 5.8%
200 7.1%
The profile of the 600 Arizona drivers that participated in this survey is shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4: SAMPLE PROFILE OF DRIVERS
GENDER (%) EDUCATION (%)
Male 50 High school or less 28
Female 50 Some college 26
100% College degree 44
Refused 2
100%
ETHNICITY (%) AGE (%)
Caucasian/ White 73 Under 25 8
Hispanic 14 25 to 34 28
Native American 5 35 to 49 26
African- American 3 50 to 64 21
Asian 2 65 or over 17
Mixed 1 100%
Refused 3
101%*
* Total exceeds 100% due to rounding.
8
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
The appendix is a copy of the survey instrument.. This section summarizes the survey
results.
REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS
The main top- of- the- mind reason drivers give that they do not always wear a seat belt is
laziness, with a reading of 36% as shown in Table 5A. Also receiving noteworthy
responses are the belief that a belt is not necessary on short drives ( 17%) and personal
choice ( 15%).
TABLE 5A: TOP- OF- THE- MIND REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS - SELF
“ You indicate that you do not always wear a seat belt when you drive or ride as a passenger in a
passenger vehicle. Why is that?”
Total
(%)
Forgetful, lazy 36
Depends on distance driving, amount of traffic 17
Personal choice, that’s what I choose to do, don’t like
being told what to do 15
Don’t use when I’m passenger 11
Seat belts uncomfortable 8
Habit, used to not wearing 7
Irresponsible, stupid 5
Fear being trapped in car 5
Feel confined 4
Disabled, difficult to put on 4
Miscellaneous 2
Not sure 5
Number of respondents = 118
Totals exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
Reference: Survey question 4, asked of respondents who did not answer “ always” to questions 1A & 1B.
9
The main reasons drivers say others do not wear a seat belt are that they are
irresponsible/ stupid ( 39%) or lazy ( 25%) as shown in Table 5B.
TABLE 5B: TOP- OF- THE- MIND REASONS FOR NOT WEARING SEAT BELTS - OTHERS
“ You indicate that you always wear a seat belt when you drive or ride as a passenger in a
passenger vehicle. Why do you feel that some others choose not to?”
Total
(%)
Irresponsible, stupid 39
Forgetful, lazy 25
Seat belts uncomfortable 14
Personal choice, that’s what they
chose to do, don’t like being told
what to do 11
Habit, used to not wearing 6
Feel confined 3
Fear being trapped in car 3
Uninformed 3
Wrinkle clothes 2
Depends on distance driving,
amount of traffic 1
Disabled, difficult to put on 1
No kids in car 1
Miscellaneous 1
Not sure 15
Number of respondents = 482
Totals exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
Reference: Survey question 2, asked of respondents who answered “ always” to questions 1A & 1B.
In a follow- up question, the 118 drivers who do not always wear seat belts were asked to
indicate if they felt each of nine specific reasons were major, minor, or not reasons, that
they personally do not always wear belts. In Table 6A we find that personal choice
receives the highest major reading of 55%, followed by forgetfulness at 45%. Also
receiving major readings among more than one out of four drivers are:
– Seat belts are uncomfortable ( 35%);
– Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you ( 26%);
– Seat belts are not needed if not driving very far ( 26%).
10
TABLE 6A: REASONS PERSONALLY DO NOT WEAR SEAT BELTS
( AMONG THOSE WHO DO NOT ALWAYS WEAR SEAT BELTS)
“ As we have been talking to Arizona drivers, they have mentioned a number of reasons why
they do not always choose to wear a seat belt. As I read each one, please just tell me if it is a
major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason you do not wear seat belts.”
Major
(%)
Minor
(%)
Not a
Reason
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
Personal choice 55 24 20 1
I sometimes simply forget to put it on 45 32 23 0
Seat belts are uncomfortable 35 21 43 1
Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you 26 28 43 3
I feel it is not needed if I’m not driving very far 26 23 49 2
Police in my community do not bother to write
tickets for seat belt violations 18 32 41 9
My vehicle is equipped with airbags 18 29 48 5
I feel it is not needed if traffic is light 16 39 41 4
I don’t want to wrinkle my clothes 11 22 64 3
Number of respondents = 118
Reference: Survey question 5
The data also reveals that urban and rural drivers offer very similar readings on the
factor “ police in my community do not bother to write tickets for seat belt violations”
( urban: major = 17%, minor = 35%; rural: major = 20%, minor = 28%).
When drivers are asked why they feel other people choose not to wear seat belts, most
of the same key factors mentioned in Table 6A are shown in Table 6B.
TABLE 6B: REASONS OTHERS DO NOT WEAR SEAT BELTS
( REASONS AMONG THOSE WHO ALWAYS WEAR SEAT BELTS)
“ As we have been talking to Arizona drivers, they have mentioned a number of reasons why they
feel some people choose not to wear a seat belt. As I read each one, please just tell me if you
feel it is a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason people do not wear seat belts.”
Major
(%)
Minor
(%)
Not a
Reason
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
Personal choice 55% 17% 24% 4%
People feel they are not needed if you’re not driving
very far 41 21 36 2
People sometimes simply forget to put them on 38 30 29 3
Seat belts are uncomfortable 33 29 35 3
Police in my community do not bother to write
tickets for seat belt violations 26 26 38 10
People feel they are not needed if traffic is light 25 27 45 3
The vehicle is equipped with airbags 22 32 41 5
Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you 20 34 43 3
People don’t want to wrinkle their clothes 17 35 45 3
Number of respondents = 482
Reference: Survey question 3
11
SEAT BELT UTILIZATION
As shown in Table 7A, 88% of Arizona drivers indicate they “ always” wear a seat belt
when they are the driver of a passenger vehicle, while ten percent indicate they
“ sometimes” wear a seat belt and two percent indicate they never wear a seat belt.
Those drivers who are most likely to not “ always” wear a seat belt are Hispanics ( 21%),
rural residents ( 20%) less- educated drivers ( 18%), males ( 17%) and younger drivers
( 16%). The readings for these five subgroups indicate they are less likely than others to
wear a seat belt. However, due to the sample sizes only the readings for rural residents
and males can be said to be statistically significant. Thus, this research can not be said
to reveal cultural differences in seat belt use by drivers.
The response patterns for seat belt usage when drivers ride as passengers are similar
to, although slightly lower than, those for when they are the driver. Thus we find in Table
7B that 84% of Arizona drivers “ always” wear a seat belt when they ride as a passenger.
TABLE 7A: SEAT BELT UTILIZATION AS A DRIVER
“ Do you always, sometimes, or never wear a seat belt in a passenger vehicle such as a car,
truck, SUV, or van when you are the driver?”
Always
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Never
(%)
TOTAL 88 10 2
AREA
Urban 91 7 2
Rural 80 18 2
GENDER
Male 83 14 3
Female 93 6 1
AGE
Under 25 84 15 1
25 to 34 84 14 2
35 to 49 92 6 2
50 to 64 88 9 3
65 or older 92 7 1
ETHNICITY
White 89 9 2
Hispanic 79 16 5
African- American 82 18 0
Native American 90 10 0
Asian 100 0 0
Education
High school or less 82 15 3
Some college 87 12 1
College graduate 93 6 1
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 1A
12
TABLE 7B: SEAT BELT UTILIZATION AS A PASSENGER
“ Do you always, sometimes, or never wear a seat belt in a passenger vehicle such as a car,
truck, SUV, or van when you ride as a passenger?”
Always
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Never
(%)
TOTAL 84 12 4
AREA
Urban 87 10 3
Rural 76 19 5
GENDER
Male 81 15 4
Female 88 9 3
AGE
Under 25 70 28 2
25 to 34 82 13 5
35 to 49 89 8 3
50 to 64 83 13 4
65 or older 89 9 2
ETHNICITY
White 86 12 2
Hispanic 72 16 12
African- American 91 9 0
Native American 79 20 1
Asian 100 0 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 75 18 7
Some college 82 14 4
College graduate 91 8 1
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 1B
13
The data also reveal that 79% of drivers “ always” insist that all passengers in their
vehicle wear a seat belt. In Table 8, males ( 72%), Hispanics ( 74%) and rural residents
( 74%) reveal particularly low “ always” readings.
TABLE 8: REQUIRE ALL PASSENGERS TO WEAR SEAT BELT
“ When you are the driver of a passenger vehicle, do you always, sometimes, or never
insist that all passengers in your vehicle wear their safety belts?”
Always
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Never
(%)
TOTAL 79 15 6
AREA
Urban 81 14 5
Rural 74 18 8
GENDER
Male 72 19 9
Female 86 11 3
AGE
Under 25 80 12 8
25 to 34 78 17 5
35 to 49 77 17 6
50 to 64 83 13 4
65 or older 79 13 8
ETHNICITY
White 79 15 6
Hispanic 74 18 8
African- American 100 0 0
Native American 85 8 7
Asian 84 16 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 77 16 7
Some college 81 16 3
College graduate 79 14 7
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 1a
14
By far, safety, with a reading of 87%, is mentioned as the primary reason drivers
“ always” insist that passengers wear seat belts as shown in Table 9. On the other hand,
“ personal choice” is offered as the primary reason drivers do not always insist that
passengers wear seat belts.
TABLE 9: REASONS INSIST/ DO NOT INSIST PASSENGERS WEAR SEAT BELTS
“ Why is that?”
Always
Insist1
(%)
Do Not
Always
Insist2
(%)
Safety 87 13
It’s the law – don’t want a ticket 22 3
Insurance reasons 3 0
Habit – have always worn 3 2
Car beeps if belts not on 1 0
Personal choice, they can make their own decision 0 45
Depends if children or adults 0 13
Depends on distance driving, amount of traffic 0 7
Forget to look/ ask to put on 0 5
Not needed if in back seat 0 5
Fear of being trapped 0 2
Not sure 1 9
Reference: Survey question 1a
1 Number of drivers = 474 that always insist
2 Number of drivers = 126 that sometimes or never insist
Totals exceed 100% due to multiple responses.
1 5
SEAT BELT USE PATTERNS WHEN CHILDREN IN VEHICLE
When drivers are asked if they insist that children be restrained in vehicles they are
driving, we find that 97% “ always” require that children under age five be restrained, as
shown in Table 10, while 91% “ always” require that those ages five to nine be restrained
as shown in Table 11. These readings are consistent across population subgroups.
TABLE 10: REQUIRE CHILDREN UNDER AGE FIVE TO BE RESTRAINED
“ When you are the driver of a passenger vehicle that has a child under the age of five in
the vehicle, either in the front seat or rear seat, do you always, sometimes, or never
insist that they are restrained in a passenger restraint device?”
Always
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Never
(%)
TOTAL 97 2 1
AREA
Urban 98 1 1
Rural 93 5 2
GENDER
Male 96 2 2
Female 97 2 1
AGE
Under 25 100 0 0
25 to 34 98 1 1
35 to 49 98 1 1
50 to 64 94 5 1
65 or older 94 0 6
ETHNICITY
White 97 2 1
Hispanic 92 4 4
African- American 100 0 0
Native American 100 0 0
Asian 100 0 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 93 5 2
Some college 98 0 2
College graduate 98 1 1
* Number of respondents = 439
Reference: Survey question 1b
* Excludes those drivers who indicate they never have passengers under age five.
16
TABLE 11: REQUIRE CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO NINE TO BE RESTRAINED
“ When you are the driver of a passenger vehicle that has a child five to nine in the
vehicle, either in the front seat or rear seat, do you always, sometimes, or never
insist that they are restrained in a passenger restraint device?”
Always
(%)
Sometimes
(%)
Never
(%)
TOTAL 91 6 3
AREA
Urban 91 6 3.
Rural 91 7 2
GENDER
Male 89 7 4
Female 93 5 2
AGE
Under 25 100 0 0
25 to 34 90 7 3
35 to 49 86 10 4
50 to 64 93 5 2
65 or older 99 0 1
ETHNICITY
White 91 6 3
Hispanic 88 8 4
African- American 100 0 0
Native American 96 4 0
Asian 100 0 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 93 6 1
Some college 91 5 4
College graduate 90 7 3
* Number of respondents = 401
Reference: Survey question 1C
* Excludes those drivers who indicate they never have passengers ages five to nine.
17
The most common restraints drivers use with children five to nine years old are seat
belts ( 42%), followed by booster seats ( 33%) and child car seats ( 25%) as shown in
Table 12.
TABLE 12: TYPE OF RESTRAINTS CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO NINE REQUIRED TO WEAR
( AMONG THOSE WHO ALWAYS/ SOMETIMES REQUIRE 5 TO 9 YEAR- OLDS TO USE)
“ Is that restraint in a regular vehicle seat belt or in a booster or child car seat?”
Seat
Belt
(%)
Booster
(%)
Child
Car
Seat
(%)
TOTAL 42 33 25
AREA
Urban 44 32 24
Rural 38 36 26
GENDER
Male 38 30 24
Female 45 36 19
AGE
Under 25 20 48 32
25 to 34 42 33 25
35 to 49 43 34 23
50 to 64 45 27 28
65 or older 49 34 17
ETHNICITY
White 40 36 24
Hispanic 50 27 23
African- American 46 38 16
Native American 47 19 34
Asian 0 32 68
EDUCATION
High school or less 40 29 31
Some college 45 38 17
College graduate 41 33 26
Number of respondents = 390
Reference: Survey question 1c1
18
AWARENESS OF CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW
Table 13 shows that 81% of drivers believe Arizona has a law that requires all
passengers to wear a seat belt, while 10% are not sure. Nine percent of drivers say the
state does not have a law. The percentage of drivers who believe the state has a law is
consistent across population subgroups.
TABLE 13: AWARENESS OF CURRENT ARIZONA SEAT BELT LAW
“ Next, to the best of your knowledge, does the state of Arizona have a law which
requires all passengers to wear a seat belt?”
Yes,
Has a Law
(%)
No,
Doesn’t
Have a Law
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 81 9 10
AREA
Urban 80 9 11
Rural 83 10 7
GENDER
Male 80 10 10
Female 81 8 11
AGE
Under 25 81 5 14
25 to 34 78 15 7
35 to 49 82 10 8
50 to 64 83 7 10
65 or older 81 3 16
ETHNICITY
White 82 9 9
Hispanic 78 11 11
African- American 71 9 20
Native American 90 0 10
Asian 68 32 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 79 12 9
Some college 83 6 11
College graduate 81 10 9
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 6
19
POSITION ON STRENGTHENING SEAT BELT LAW
Table 14 shows that 61% of Arizona drivers favor changing the state’s seat belt law to
allow peace officers to stop vehicles and issue citations to drivers simply for not wearing
a seat belt, while 32% oppose such a change and 7% are unsure. A majority of all
population subgroups favor the change. Note, however, that female drivers reveal far
more support for the law than do male drivers – 69% vs. 53%, respectively.
TABLE 14: POSITION ON STRENGTHENING CURRENT SEAT BELT LAW
“ Under the current Arizona seat belt law, a peace officer can only issue a citation to a
vehicle driver for not wearing a seat belt when the driver is stopped for some other
motor vehicle violation. There has been some discussion lately about changing this
law to allow peace officers to stop vehicles and issue citations to drivers simply for not
wearing a seat belt. Do you favor or oppose this change in the law?”
Favor
(%)
Oppose
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 61 32 7
AREA
Urban 62 31 7
Rural 58 34 8
GENDER
Male 53 39 8
Female 69 24 7
AGE
Under 25 66 29 5
25 to 34 66 27 7
35 to 49 56 36 8
50 to 64 56 40 4
65 or older 64 23 13
ETHNICITY
White 61 33 6
Hispanic 59 32 9
African- American 62 29 9
Native American 59 28 13
Asian 84 16 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 59 36 5
Some college 61 27 12
College graduate 62 32 6
AWARE OF CURRENT LAW
Yes – has law 63 30 7
No – doesn’t have law 51 47 2
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 7
20
In two related questions, drivers were asked to reveal their thoughts on the impact of an
expanded seat belt law. Here we find the following:
Two out of three drivers ( 66%) think an expanded law would be effective in
encouraging more people to wear seat belts. Response to this question is
consistent across population subgroups ( Table 15).
Sixty- four percent of drivers do not believe an expanded law would lead to
racial profiling. Response to this question varies greatly by ethnicity with non-white
drivers far more likely than white drivers to believe the law would lead to
racial profiling. Thus, while only 22% of white drivers feel such a law would
lead to racial profiling, 46% of Hispanic, 37% of African- American, 51% of
Native American, and 31% of Asian drivers feel an expanded law would lead
to racial profiling ( Table 16).
TABLE 15: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER EXPANDED SEAT BELT LAW WOULD BE
EFFECTIVE
“ Do you think such a law would be effective or not effective in encouraging
more people to wear seat belts?”
Effective
(%)
Not
Effective
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 66 28 6
AREA
Urban 67 27 6
Rural 63 30 7
GENDER
Male 63 31 6
Female 69 24 7
AGE
Under 25 63 36 1
25 to 34 70 25 5
35 to 49 69 26 5
50 to 64 60 32 8
65 or older 63 25 12
ETHNICITY
White 65 29 6
Hispanic 67 31 2
African- American 88 9 3
Native American 66 28 6
Asian 100 0 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 64 29 7
Some college 71 24 5
College graduate 66 28 6
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 7a
21
TABLE 16: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER EXPANDED SEAT BELT LAW WOULD LEAD TO
RACIAL PROFILING
“ Do you think such a law would lead to racial profiling by peace officers?”
Yes
(%)
No
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 27 64 9
AREA
Urban 28 63 9
Rural 24 67 9
GENDER
Male 30 61 9
Female 25 67 8
AGE
Under 25 32 57 11
25 to 34 37 57 6
35 to 49 28 63 9
50 to 64 26 65 9
65 or older 12 77 11
ETHNICITY
White 22 70 8
Hispanic 46 45 9
African- American 37 46 17
Native American 51 41 8
Asian 31 53 16
EDUCATION
High school or less 33 57 10
Some college 30 64 6
College graduate 23 68 9
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 7b
22
MISCELLANEOUS ATTITUDES ABOUT SEAT BELT USE
Drivers were asked to respond to two statements about seat belt use. This line of
questioning reveals the following:
Three out of four drivers ( 73%) think that having police officers write
more tickets for non- use of seat belts would encourage more use. This
attitude is relatively consistent across population subgroups ( Table 17).
Two out of three drivers ( 66%) think television and radio ads
encouraging seat belt use would result in more use. This attitude is
relatively consistent across population subgroups ( Table 18).
TABLE 17: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER MORE TICKETS FOR NON- USE WOULD
ENCOURAGE MORE SEAT BELT USE
“ Do you think more police officers writing tickets for non- use would
encourage more seat belt use?”
Yes
(%)
No
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 73 21 6
AREA
Urban 73 21 6
Rural 72 21 7
GENDER
Male 71 22 7
Female 74 21 5
AGE
Under 25 69 28 3
25 to 34 73 23 4
35 to 49 75 21 4
50 to 64 67 23 10
65 or older 76 14 10
ETHNICITY
White 74 21 5
Hispanic 68 22 10
African- American 80 11 9
Native American 81 19 0
Asian 84 16 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 69 22 9
Some college 77 21 2
College graduate 74 20 6
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 7c
23
TABLE 18: ATTITUDE ABOUT WHETHER MEDIA ADS ENCOURAGE SEAT BELT USE
“ Do you think television and radio ads encouraging seat belt use result in more usage?”
Yes
(%)
No
(%)
Not
Sure
(%)
TOTAL 66 27 7
AREA
Urban 67 26 7
Rural 61 31 8
GENDER
Male 64 28 8
Female 67 27 6
AGE
Under 25 66 32 2
25 to 34 62 28 10
35 to 49 69 26 5
50 to 64 65 30 5
65 or older 67 21 12
ETHNICITY
White 63 29 8
Hispanic 75 17 8
African- American 69 31 0
Native American 72 23 5
Asian 84 16 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 61 29 10
Some college 72 24 4
College graduate 65 27 8
Number of respondents = 600
Reference: Survey question 7d
24
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the information generated in this research and the fact that a primary objective
of this effort was to provide recommendations on the most effective means to get drivers
to buckle up, the Behavior Research Center offers the following comments:
Enact a primary seat belt law in Arizona. The number one step that could be taken to
increase seat belt use in Arizona is for the state to become a Primary Enforcement Seat
Belt Law state. While this process is difficult and can be costly, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration’s annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey reveals
that seat belt use in primary law states greatly exceeds use in secondary law states such
as Arizona – 88% vs. 75% in 2008. This research shows that support is strong for
Arizona becoming a primary law state with 61% favoring a change to being a primary law
state and only 32% opposing.
Educate Arizona residents on the importance of seat belt use. Going hand in hand
with stricter enforcement, which would be possible as a primary law state, is the need to
incorporate these survey results into developing educational and marketing strategies
that will increase the restraint use by Arizonans. Both earned media and paid media
campaigns such as “ Click It or Ticket” should be utilized in this effort, which needs to be
targeted at those population groups that reveal the greatest propensity to not wear seat
belts: rural drivers, males, Hispanics, less educated drivers, and young drivers.
25
APPENDIX: RESTRAINT USE SURVEY
OCTOBER 2008
Hello, my name is __________ and I'm with the Behavior Research Center. We are conducting a study for the
state of Arizona on driving habits and I would like to speak with someone in your household for a few minutes.
A. In order to select just one person to interview, could I speak to the licensed
driver in your household, 16 or older, who had the most recent birthday?
Male... 1
Female... 2
IF RESPONDENT IS THE PERSON – GO TO QUESTION C
IF OTHER PERSON COMES TO PHONE – GO TO QUESTION B
IF RESPONDENT NOT AVAILABLE – ARRANGE CALLBACK
IF REFUSE – THANK AND TERMINATE
B. Hello, my name is __________ and I'm with the Behavior Research Center. We are conducting a study for
the state of Arizona on driving habits and I would like to speak with you for a few minutes.
C. Before we begin, in what year were you born? ( RECORD ONE YEAR ONLY) YEAR: / / / / /
1. To begin, do you always, sometimes, or never wear a seat belt
in a passenger vehicle such as a car, truck, SUV, or van in the
following situations? ( READ EACH)
Some- Not
Always times Never Applicable
A. When you are the driver................................................................ 1 2 3 4
B. When you ride as a passenger .................................................... 1 2 3 4
( INSTRUCTION A: IF Q1A 1- 3, GO TO Q1a;
OTHERWISE GO TO INSTRUCTION B)
1a. When you are the driver of a passenger vehicle, do
you always, sometimes, or never insist that all
passengers in your vehicle wear their safety belts?
Always... 1
Sometimes... 2
Never... 3
1a1. Why is that?
1b. When you are the driver of a passenger vehicle that has a
child under the age of five in the vehicle, either in the front
seat or rear seat, do you always, sometimes, or never insist
that they are restrained in a passenger restraint device?
Always... 1
Sometimes... 2
Never... 3
Not applicable ( Don’t have as
passengers)... 4
1c. And when you are the driver of a passenger
vehicle that has a child five to nine in the
vehicle, either in the front seat or rear seat, do
you always, sometimes, or never insist that
they are restrained in a passenger restraint
device?
Always... 1
( GO TO Q1c1) Sometimes... 2
Never... 3
( GO TO INSTRUCTION B) Not applicable
( Don’t have as passengers)... 4
26
1c1. Is that in a regular vehicle seat belt or in a
booster or child car seat?
Vehicle seat belt... 1
Booster... 2
Child car seat... 3
1c2. Why is that?
( INSTRUCTION B: IF BOTH Q1A and Q1B are 1,
GO TO Q2; OTHERWISE GO TO Q4)
2. You indicate that you always wear a seat belt when you drive or ride as a passenger in
a passenger vehicle. Why do you feel that some others choose not to?
3. As we have been talking to Arizona drivers they have
mentioned a number of reasons why they feel some people
choose not to wear a seat belt. As I read each one, please just
tell me if you feel it is a major reason, a minor reason, or not a
reason people do not wear seat belts. ( ROTATE)
Not a Not
Major Minor Reason Sure
A. Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you ................................. 1 2 3 4
B. People don’t want to wrinkle their clothes .................................................. 1 2 3 4
C. Police in my community do not bother to write tickets for seat belt
violations ............................................................................................... 1 2 3 4
D. People sometimes simply forget to put them on ........................................ 1 2 3 4
E. People feel they are not needed if your not driving very far....................... 1 2 3 4
F. Seat belts are uncomfortable ..................................................................... 1 2 3 4
G People feel they are not needed if traffic is light ........................................ 1 2 3 4
H Their vehicle is equipped with airbags ....................................................... 1 2 3 4
I. Personal choice.......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4
( GO TO Q6)
4. You indicate that you do not always wear a seat belt when you drive or ride as a passenger
in a passenger vehicle, why is that?
5. As we have been talking to Arizona drivers they have
mentioned a number of reasons why they do not always
choose to wear a seat belt. As I read each one, please just
tell me if it is a major reason, a minor reason, or not a reason
you do not always wear a seat belt. ( ROTATE)
Not a Not
Major Minor Reason Sure
A. Seat belts are just as likely to harm you as help you ................................... 1 2 3 4
B. I don’t want to wrinkle my clothes................................................................. 1 2 3 4
C. Police in my community do not bother to write tickets for seat belt
violations....................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4
D. I sometimes simply forget to put it on ........................................................... 1 2 3 4
E. I feel it is not needed if I’m not driving very far ............................................. 1 2 3 4
F. Seat belts are uncomfortable........................................................................ 1 2 3 4
G. I feel it is not needed if traffic is light............................................................. 1 2 3 4
H. My vehicle is equipped with airbags ............................................................. 1 2 3 4
I. Personal choice ............................................................................................ 1 2 3 4
6. Next, to the best of your knowledge, does the state of
Arizona have a law which requires all passengers to wear a
seat belt?
Yes – has a law... 1
No – doesn’t have a law... 2
Not sure... 3
27
7. Under the current Arizona seat belt law, a peace officer can
only issue a citation to a vehicle driver for not wearing a seat
belt when the driver is stopped for some other motor vehicle
violation. There has been some discussion lately about
changing this law to allow peace officers to stop vehicles and
issue citations to drivers simply for not wearing a seat belt.
Do you favor or oppose this change in the law?
Favor... 1
Oppose... 2
Not sure... 3
7a. Do you think such a law would be effective or not
effective in encouraging more people to wear seat belts?
Effective... 1
Not effective... 2
Not sure... 3
7b. Do you think such a law would lead to racial profiling by
peace officers?
Yes... 1
No... 2
Don’t know/ refused... 3
7c. Do you think more police officers writing tickets for non-use
would encourage more seat belt use?
Yes... 1
No... 2
Don’t know/ refused... 3
7d. Do you think television and radio ads encouraging seat
belt use result in more usage?
Yes... 1
No... 2
Don’t know/ refused... 3
DEMOGRAPHICS
8. Now before we finish, I need a few pieces of information about
yourself for classification purposes only. First, what is the
highest level of schooling you have had the opportunity to
complete? ( READ LIST AND RECORD ONE RESPONSE)
Less than high school... 1
High school graduate... 2
Some college... 3
College degree... 4
Some graduate school... 5
Graduate degree... 6
9. And finally, which of the following categories
best describes your ethnic origin? ( READ LIST
AND RECORD ONE RESPONSE; ROTATE)
Caucasian... 1
African- American... 2
Hispanic... 3
Native American... 4
Asian... 5
Or something else ( PLEASE SPECIFY)
________... 6
( DO NOT READ) Not sure.. 99
From Sample: County:
Thank you very much, that completes this interview. My supervisor may want to call you to verify that I
conducted this interview so may I have your first name so that they may do so? ( VERIFY PHONE NUMBER)
NAME: PHONE #:
28
REFERENCES
1) Behavior Research Center. Inc. Arizona Seat Belt/ Motorcycle Helmet/ Child
Restraint Use Survey. Prepared for the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
Phoenix, November 2008.
2) Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc. 2007 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey.
Prepared for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Washington D. C.,
August 2008.