The correct use of seat belts and child safety devices are important areas of concern in road safety policy. To promote their use the government have used the instruments of public information campaigns and enforcement for some time. Among others this is done by way of annual advertising campaigns in which the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management works closely together with the lower tiers of government, the police forces and the Bureau for Traffic Enforcement of the Public Prosecution Service (BVOM). To obtain insight into trends in the actual use of seat belts and child car seats, surveys have been carried out at a large number of locations throughout the country since the early 1990s. This research also provides an indication of the effectiveness of the campaigns. A direct causal relationship between the campaign itself and the observed behaviour can not be made, however, because public information activities and enforcement also take place outside the campaign period. There are also other factors affecting the use of seat belts and child car seats. These include the increase in the number of vehicles with seat belts in all seat positions and the more widespread use of technical devices such as seat belt warning systems. This report contains the results of the survey conducted in 2007. (Author/publisher)
Abstract