Increasing Seat Belt Use Amongst Rural Populations

DTNH2216D00019/ DTNH2217F00176This 12-month demonstration project focused on increasing seat belt use in rural areas was conducted in two locations: Bingham County, Idaho and Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The project relied on a multifaceted approach consisting of sustained publicity and police enforcement. A technical assistance guide was used to motivate and assist law enforcement agencies/officers to engage with rural community members on the usefulness of wearing seat belts. The program effort consisted of 1) contact with seat belt violators and 2) sustained messaging to keep the local population informed that seat belt use is important for the health and well-being of the community. Set to begin in Spring 2020, outreach and enforcement efforts were immediately hindered due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Evaluation of Rear-Seat Belt Laws

DTNH2216D00019Recent upgrades to rear-seat belt laws in two States were documented, based on information gathered from legislative websites, news articles, and other internet sources as well as interviews with key observers. Successful strategies and challenges were identified. An additional goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of adult rear-seat belt laws on rear-seat belt use using an observational survey