The National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) is the only nationwide probability based survey of seat belt use (for occupants 8 and older in both front and rear seats), motorcycle helmet use, child restraint use (for children under 8 years old), and driver electronic device use in the United States. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts this survey annually. Two sub-surveys — the Moving Traffic (MT) Survey and the Controlled Intersection (CI) Study —comprise the NOPUS. In the Controlled Intersection Study, occupants of passenger vehicles without commercial or government markings are observed from the roadside at intersections controlled by stop signs or stoplights. Only stopped vehicles are observed to allow ample time to collect a variety of information required by the survey. NOPUS derives its estimates of seat belt use in rear seats, child restraint use, driver electronic device use, and demographic characteristics of vehicle occupants from the CI study. This report presents results of occupant restraint use from the 2014 National Occupant Protection Use Survey Controlled Intersection Study. NHTSA will publish the driver electronic device use results in a separate research note. The following are some of the major findings from the 2014 NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study: Front Seats Belt Use (Among Occupants 8 and Older): • Seat belt use continued to be lower for males (84%) than females (89%) in 2014. • Seat belt use continued to be lower among drivers driving alone (86%) than for drivers traveling with passengers (89%) in 2014. • Seat belt use continued to be lower among 16- to 24-year-olds (84%) than other age groups (87%). However, seat belt use among younger drivers (age 16-24) is significantly higher when riding with 16- to 24-year-old passengers (88%) than with no passengers (83%). Rear Seats Belt Use (Among Occupants 8 and Older): • Seat belt use continued to be lower in the rear seat (73%) than in the front seat (87%) in 2014. • Rear seat belt use declined significantly to 73 percent in 2014 from 78 percent in 2013. • Seat belt use among younger passengers (age 16 to 24) in the rear seats decreased significantly to 68 percent in 2014 from 78 percent in 2013. • Seat belt use in the rear seat continued to be significantly higher among the States with laws requiring belts to be used in all seating positions (80%) than those without such laws (66%) in 2014. Child Restraint Use (For Children From Birth to 7 Years Old): • Restraint use for children from birth to 7 years old in 2014 is 91 percent, compared to 89 percent in 2013. • In states that require children from birth to 7 years old to be in the rear seat, children in rear seats were restrained at the rate of 97 percent in 2014; this was a significant increase from 93 percent in 2013. • Restraint use for children driven by belted drivers continued to be significantly higher (93%) than for children driven by unbelted drivers (72%) in 2014. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting