The 2007 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey was the sixth in a series of periodic national telephone surveys on occupant protection issues conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data collection was conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc., a national survey research organization. The survey used two questionnaires, each administered to a randomly selected national sample of about 6,000 persons 16 or older. Interviewing began January 9, 2007, and ended April 30, 2007. This report presents the survey findings pertaining to crash injury and emergency medical services, including trend data. Detailed information on the survey methodology, as well as copies of the questionnaires, are contained in a separate NHTSA report (“2007 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey. Volume 1. Methodology Report”). About one-in-four persons 16 and older (26%) reported having been injured in a vehicle crash where they required medical attention. Fifteen percent of the total population, 16 and older, has received injuries from motor vehicle crashes severe enough to prevent them from performing some of their normal activities for at least a week. Persons not wearing seat belts at the time of the (most recent) crash were much more likely to be hospitalised from the crash-related injuries compared to those wearing seat belts. The proportion of drivers who have a wireless phone with them when they drive has continued to increase, reaching 81 percent in 2007. About one-in-three carriers of wireless phones (33%) reported talking on the phone while driving during half or more of their trips. Most people (69%) believed that if there was a medical emergency in the neighbourhood and an ambulance was called, it would arrive within 10 minutes. Most were confident the responders would know what to do. (Author/publisher)
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