June 2004 A Brief Statistical Summary Published by the Mathematical Analysis Division DOT HS 809 732 

Restraint Use Among Fatally Injured 

Passenger Vehicle Occupants

Traffic Safety Facts

Crash•Stats

National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 

For 16 through 20-year-old occupants, passenger vehicle fatalities 

have climbed 14.2 percent from 

1993 to 2003, while for occupants 

ages 21 or older, there was a 6.7 percent increase in passenger vehicle 

fatalities over this time period (see 

Table 1). Passenger vehicles consist of passenger cars, sport utility 

vehicles, vans, and pickups. The 

fatalities analyzed in this note are 

limited to people within passenger 

vehicles in transport.

■ In 2003, almost two-thirds of 

16-20 year old occupants who 

were fatally injured were unrestrained.

■ The percent of fatally injured occupants age 16 through 20 who 

were unrestrained declined from 

75 percent to 64 percent from 

1993 to 2003. 

■ Over 3,400 unrestrained occupants age 16 through 20 were 

fatally injured in 2003. Restraint 

use was lower among occupants 

age 16 through 20 than age 21 or 

older.

■ The number of restrained occupants age 16 through 20 who 

were fatally injured increased 

65 percent, from 1,154 in 1993 

to 1,907 in 2003. Among occupants age 21 or older, there was a 

40 percent increase, from 7,807 

to 10,909.

■ Restraint use in fatal crashes has 

climbed approximately one percentage point per year since 1993 

among age 16 to 20 (25 percent up 

to 36 percent) and age 21 or older 

(33 percent up to 44 percent).

Table 1

Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities, Age 16 and Older, by Year, Age 

Group, and Restraint Use

 16 through 20 21 or older

 Restraint Restraint 

 Used Unrestrained Total Used Unrestrained Total

 Num- Per- Num- Per- Num- Num- Per- Num- Per- Num-

 Year ber cent ber cent ber ber cent ber cent ber

 1993 1,154 25 3,514 75 4,668 7,807 33 15,609 67 23,416

 1994 1,337 27 3,653 73 4,990 8,471 36 15,290 64 23,761

 1995 1,439 29 3,584 71 5,023 8,907 36 15,888 64 24,795

 1996 1,508 29 3,629 71 5,137 9,441 38 15,677 62 25,118

 1997 1,555 30 3,575 70 5,130 9,692 38 15,482 62 25,174

 1998 1,548 30 3,534 70 5,082 9,871 40 14,891 60 24,762

 1999 1,676 32 3,626 68 5,302 9,702 39 15,071 61 24,773

 2000 1,770 33 3,539 67 5,309 10,186 41 14,710 59 24,896

 2001 1,840 34 3,518 66 5,358 10,341 42 14,507 58 24,848

 2002 1,999 36 3,626 64 5,625 10,617 42 14,492 58 25,109

 2003 1,907 36 3,424 64 5,332 10,909 44 14,078 56 24,987

Source: FARS 1993-2001 Final, 2002 Annual Report File, 2003 Early Assessment File
National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 

For additional copies of this research note, please call 1-800-934-8517 or fax your 

request to (202) 366-3189. For questions regarding the data reported in this research, 

contact Marc Starnes [202-366-0183]. This research note and other general information on highway traffic safety may be accessed by internet users at: http://www-nrd.

nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html

Table 2

Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatality Rates per 100,000 Population, 

by Year and Age Group

Year 16 through 20 21 or older Total

 1993 26.73 12.99 11.67

 1994 28.27 13.06 11.87

 1995 27.89 13.51 12.17

 1996 27.80 13.56 12.23

 1997 27.00 13.47 12.12

 1998 26.16 13.12 11.80

 1999 26.74 13.00 11.78

 2000 26.20 12.60 11.42

 2001 26.35 12.40 11.23

 2002 27.58 12.35 11.30

 2003* N/A N/A N/A

Sources: FARS 1993-2001 Final, 2002 Annual Report File, US Census Bureau. 

* The 2003 rates are not included because the 2003 populations are not currently available from 

the U.S. Census Bureau

As shown in Table 2, the rates in 

each cell were calculated by dividing the number of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities by the population of the appropriate calendar 

year and age group. The rates represent the number of fatalities per 

100,000 population of the specified 

year and age group.

■ For all ages 16 and older, the fatality rate among occupants in 

passenger vehicles has decreased 

3.2 percent from 1993 to 2002.

◆ Among 16 to 20 year olds, the 

 passenger vehicle occupant 

 fatality rate per 100,000 popu-

 lation has increased 3.2 per-

 cent, while the passenger 

 vehicle occupant fatality rate 

 per 100,000 population has 

decreased 4.9 percent among 

 the 21 or older age group

■ The 16 to 20-year-old fatality 

rate has remained approximately 

twice as high as the rate for passengers 21 and older. The rate in 

2002 for 16-20 year old occupants 

was 2.2 times as high as the rate 

for occupants age 21 and older

■ Over this time period, the fatality 

rates for both age groups peaked 

during the mid-90’s. 

■ The age group of 21 years or older had their lowest fatality rate in 

the last 10 years in 2002. 

■ The 2002 rate for the 16-20 age 

range was the highest since 1996, 

the year in which the Buckle Up 

America campaign was started.

■ From 1993 through 2002, the size 

of the 16 through 20 year old 

population increased 16.8 percent, while the 21 and older population increased 12.8 percent.

The Fatality Analysis Reporting 

System (FARS) provided the fatality data in this report.