Safety belt use in the United States has risen steadily over recent years, reaching 80 percent in 2004. Yet, using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, safety belt use among fatally injured front-seat outboard occupants of passenger vehicles was only between 42 and 46 percent for the years 1999 to 2003. One possible explanation is that safety belt use is different during different times of the day. A full statewide nighttime belt use observation survey was conducted in 2004. This survey was conducted simultaneously with Connecticut’s annual full statewide daytime belt use survey. Night belt use observations of drivers and passengers are possible using newly available near-military-grade night vision goggles and handheld infrared spotlights. Both day and goggle-assisted night observations were conducted at 100 observation sites in Connecticut. Procedures for day and night observations were as nearly identical as possible. The night belt use rate was 6.4 percentage points lower than the day rate (83.0 versus 76.6). Consistent with belt use among Connecticut fatalities, day versus night differences were greatest in urban areas. There was evidence that day versus night differences were greater before as compared to after a May 2004 belt use enforcement program. (Author/publisher)
Abstract