VTI has observed seat belt use in a number of towns in Southern Sweden since 1983. The observations in 2013 were made over a total of ten days in August—September 2013. In total, approximately 58,400 passenger cars, 1,200 taxi cars and 8,700 other vehicles, e.g. trucks were observed. At the beginning of the surveys, 84—86 per cent of drivers and front seat passengers already wore a seat belt. Today, the levels are 97— 98 per cent. When VTI commenced the surveys in 1983, seat belt use by adult back seat passengers was at a modest 10 per cent. When the law requiring all adult occupants to wear seat belts in passenger cars came into force on 1 July 1986, the figure quickly increased to 60 per cent. According to the latest observations, approximately 84 per cent of all adult back seat passengers wear a seat belt, which is lower than the level 2012. More than 96 per cent of children in the back seat were belted. Since the surveys in 1994 to date, a subproject studying the drivers and the correlation to age and sex of the drivers, has been in force simultaneously. Seat belt use is lowest among young male drivers, between 18—25 years, at 80 per cent. In the same age group, 92 per cent of all women wear a seat belt. Seat belt use by taxi drivers has been observed at all sites studied since 1995. Furthermore since 1 October 1999, taxi drivers have been required by law to wear a seat belt and the figure subsequently increased steadily, 90-percent level was reached in 2006. In 2013, the level is the highest ever, nearly 96 per cent. This is close to the seat belt use among drivers of passenger cars. Additionally, in 1996 VTI commenced studies of seat belt use in heavy goods vehicles (HGV). Similar to the taxi drivers, the level of seat belt use by HGV drivers has increased since 1996, even though the initial seat belt use was rather modest and the increase not as strong. In the heavy vehicles, with or without trailers, approximately 5—7 per cent of all drivers wore a seat belt in 1999 compared to 60 per cent by 2013. It is the same level as 2012. (Author/publisher)
Abstract