In 2007, seat belt use in the United States increased among occupants 70 and older. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which provides the only probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the United States. NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2007 survey also found the following: Seat belt use continued to be lower among 16- to 24-year-olds than other age groups; Seat belt use continued to be lower among Blacks than other races; Seat belt use continued to be higher among females than males; Seat belt use continued to be lower among drivers driving alone than among drivers with passengers. Seat belt use nationwide was 82 percent in 2007, a slight gain from the 2006 use rate of 81 percent. This research note presents the demographic breakouts of the 82 percent national rate. For information about the 2007 use rates in terms of region, vehicle type, etc., please see the companion publication “Seat Belt Use in 2007—Overall Results,” which is available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/CMSWeb/index.aspx. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting