# Presentation: 697982

## Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program

**Seat Belt Education, Research, and Outreach Among Region IV Local Technology Assistance Programs**

- Recipient: 			Derrick Jones
- University: 			Jackson State University
- Status: 			Undergraduate: Junior
- Campus Manager: 		Curtina Moreland-Young, Ph.D.
- Faculty Advisor: 		Ivory L. Williams, M.U.R.P.
- Faculty Research Advisor:	Johnny Gilleylen Sr., Ph.D.
- Discipline: 			Civil Engineering

## Study Purpose and Rationale

- Purpose
- To survey Region IV LTAP centers to determine their efforts in seatbelt usage education, research, and outreach/services
- Rationale
- Seat belt usage within Region IV (75.2 percent) is well below the national average of 79 percent.  Also, Region IV number of 8,774 traffic fatalities is 27 percent of the 35,519 total U.S. fatalities and the highest among the regional LTAP centers.

## LTAP Region IV 2003 Safety Belt Usage % and Seatbelt Law Status

- National Avg.: 79%
- Region IV: 75.2%

- Source: Glassbrenner, Donna. *Safety Belt Use in 2004— Overall Results*, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 783, September, 2004.

## Statewide Observed Belt Use 1995-2002 for Primary Versus Non-Primary Law States

|  | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | All |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Primary | 75% | 74% | 75% | 78% | 79% | 79% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Secondary | 60% | 59% | 60% | 61% | 63% | 65% | 67% | 70% | 63% |
| Difference | 15% | 15% | 14% | 17% | 16% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 15% |

- Source: Neil K. Chaudhary and David F. Preusser in *Lives Lost by State’s Failure to Implement Primary Safety Belt Laws*, The National Safety Council’s Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, November 2003.

## Total 2002 U.S. Traffic FatalitiesRestrained versus Unrestrained Passengers

- N = 35,519

- Source: F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic Administration, 2002

## Benefits of Seat Belt Use

- Reduced risk of fatal injury
- 45 % reduction for drivers and front seat wearers in passenger vehicles
- 60% reduction risk for front seat wearers in light trucks
- Reduced Moderate to Critical Injuries
- 50% reduction for passenger vehicle occupants
- 65% reduction for light truck occupants
- Cost Effective
- Marginal cost is zero

- Source: *Buckling Up: Technologies to Increase Seat Belt Use*, Special Report 278,  Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2003

## PARETO U.S. 2002 Traffic Fatalities By State and Type of Seat Belt Law

**With Primary Seat Belt Law**

**With Secondary Seat Belt Law**

**With No Seat Belt Law**

- Source: F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic Administration, 2002

## PARETO LTAP Region IV 2002 Traffic FatalitiesBy State and Type of Seat Belt Law

**With Primary Seat Belt Law**

**With Secondary Seat Belt Law**

**PARETO LTAP Region IV 2002 Traffic Fatalities**By State and Type of Seat Belt Law

- Source: F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic Administration, 2002

## Reasons of Nonuse

- Part Timer Users (20% of drivers)
- Situational/Habitual Factors
- Buckles up for poor weather or long trips
- Do not buckle up for short trips
- Forgetting
- In a hurry
- Hard Core Nonusers (4% of drivers)
- High crash risk
- More traffic violations
- Higher crash involvement rates
- Higher arrests rates
- Higher alcohol consumption rates
- Negative Attitudinal Factors
- Unfounded claims that belts are dangerous
- Infringement on personal freedom
- Resentment for authority
- Just don’t feel like wearing them

- Source: A.W. Block, 2001 in *Buckling Up: Technologies to Increase Seat Belt Use*, Special Report 278,  Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2003

## Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)

- The LTAP Mission
*	**“**LTAP’s mission is to foster a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation systems by improving the skill knowledge of local transportation providers through training, technical assistance and technology.”*
- LTAP Structure
- LTAP is composed of a national network of centers
- one in every state, Puerto Rico and regional centers serving tribal governments
- Core Activities
- Provides a variety of training programs
- Serves as an information clearinghouse
- Provides new and existing technology updates
- Provides personalized technical assistance
- Publishes newsletters
- Along with the core activities, LTAP provide access to training and information that may not be otherwise accessible.

## LTAP Centers’ Annual Performance Statistics

- Over 12,500 local communities served
- More than 115,000 people trained at over 4,000 training sessions
- More than 131,000 newsletters sent to contacts
- More than 250,000 materials distributed to local agencies

- Source: “LTAP/TTAP Program” website sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and managed by the LTAP Clearinghouse, *American Public Works Association*, updated August 10, 2004.

## Research Questions?

- What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in terms of seatbelt usage education?
- What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in terms of seatbelt usage research?
- What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in terms of seatbelt usage outreach/services?
- If the Region IV LTAP centers do not currently offer any seat belt usage education, research, or outreach services, do they plan to offer them in the future?
- What are the impediments to Region IV LTAP centers offering education, research and outreach services?

## Research Methodology

- Exploratory Research
- What is out there?
- Cross-Sectional Design
- Slice in time
- Where are we now?
- Data Collection Methodology
- Purposive Sampling
- LTAP Region IV—AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN
- Lead the nation in traffic fatalities
- Only three of eight-state region with primary seat belt law
- Survey Instrument as primary instrument
- Telephone interviews as follow-up methodology
- Study Validity Concerns
- Instrument to be reviewed by two panels of transportation safety experts
- Mississippi Department of Transportation
- Federal Highway Administration
- Study Ethical Concerns
- Jackson State University IRB approval required

## Research Methodology cont’d

- Data Analysis
- Univariate Analysis
- Measures of Central Tendency
- Measures of Dispersion
- Statistical Significance Tests
- T-test
- Chi Square
- Study Results
- Projected Study Completion: March 2005
- Study Results might be used by LTAP Centers to appropriately consider the inclusion of seat belt training programs within its current offerings to local communities and to further identify agency needs to construct an effective program
- Also study results will assist the facilitation of The National Safety Council’s “Special Traffic Enforcement Program” public education outreach programs
- Study results will be published utilizing text, tables and graphics