Seat belts are an effective and low-cost injury prevention asset. Increased seat belt use has been proven to substantially reduce serious injury and death. This is especially important on rural roads where crash injury risk is high and seat belt use remains low. Understanding influences of laws, enforcement, and education in influencing drivers on rural roads is a high priority in the Northern Plains. Results from models of statewide and driver seat belt use over recent years offer insight for improving rural road safety. Successfully selecting and implementing interventions based on available resources and prevalence of high-risk groups in crashes requires ongoing investment and analysis. While encouraging the general population to use seat belts through traditional interventions is certainly a recommended strategy, noticeable gains may be achieved by targeting interventions that are effective with high-risk drivers. (Author/publisher) To read the entire research report and find references, please visit the RTSSC website: http://www.ugpti.org/rtssc
Abstract