Number 335 August 2007

Traffic Safety Facts

Traffic Tech – Technology Transfer Series

U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

In 2004, nearly 70% of total and unrestrained deaths in the

Great Lakes Region (GLR) of the United States occurred in

the rural areas of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,

Ohio, and Wisconsin. In May 2005, for a two-week period

just prior to the annual Click It or Ticket (CIOT) National

Safety Belt Mobilization, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration implemented a rural demonstration program

(RDP) to increase rural seat belt use in these six States. A key

component of this project was paid advertising and outreach,

which targeted ruralresidents of the Great Lakes Region with

a seat belt enforcement message. During this project, Illinois,

Indiana, and Ohio also intensified their seat belt enforcement

in targeted rural areas.

Immediately following the RDP, the States in the GLR also

participatedinthenationalCIOTmobilization,whichincluded

another two-week wave of paid media with an enforcement

message, and a two-week intensified state-wide seat belt

enforcement period. During the CIOT mobilization, the paid

media began one week before the enforcement phase.

The RDP and CIOT efforts were evaluated using telephone

surveys, surveys at State driver’s licensing offices, and

observational surveys, in order to measure public awareness

and seat belt use, in targeted rural areas and statewide.

Measurements were taken at three points during these

projects: (a) Wave 1: baseline prior to the RDP; (b) Wave 2:

at the end of the RDP; and (c) Wave 3: at the end of the

CIOT mobilization.

Paid Media Messaging

Four States (IL, MI, MN, and WI) targeted their paid media

to reasonably large, rural population segments, between

23% and 34%, while two States (IN and OH) targeted much

smaller rural population segments, between 6% and 11%.

Media expenditures averaged $212,000 per State during

the RDP phase and $516,000 per State during CIOT, but per

capita expenditures in targeted areas were highest during

the RDP (0.12 cents per capita during the RDP, and 0.06 cents

per capita during CIOT). States spent about two-thirds of

their media funds on television, with much less spent on

radio, newsprint, and outdoor advertising. Gross rating

points (GRPs) far exceeded the objective of 300-400 GRPs

per target market.

Enforcement Activities

During the RDP, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio intensified their

seat belt enforcement by conducting enforcement zones and

devoting more officer hours to seat belt enforcement. During

the CIOT mobilization, all the States increased enforcement.

Overall, police issued about 130,000 citations for seat belt

violations over the two program phases, averaging 25

citations per 10,000 residents.

Public Awareness

In targeted rural areas, awareness of seat belt messages

increased most during the RDP, while awareness of

enforcement-related messages and activities increased most

during CIOT. During the RDP, public awareness in targeted

rural areas increased relative to statewide levels. However,

by the end ofthe mobilization,rural and statewide awareness

levels were similar on nearly every index.

Changes in Seat Belt Use

Figure 1 shows the changes in the observed seat belt use

during the RDP and CIOT mobilization.

Figure 1. Observed Seat Belt Usage by Phase in Rural 

Targeted Areas

DuringtheRDP,Illinois,Indiana, andOhio,theStates thathad

intensified enforcement in targeted rural areas, significantly

increased their seat belt use in targeted rural areas. During

the CIOT mobilization, when all States intensified their seat

belt enforcement, every State in the Great Lakes Region

except Minnesota significantly increased seat belt use in their

targeted rural areas. While all States significantly increased

seat belt use by the end of the mobilization, only the States

50

60

70

80

90

100

Michigan Illinois Minnesota Ohio Indiana Wisconsin

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3

Increasing Seat Belt Use in Rural Areas of the 

Great Lakes Region
TRAFFIC TECH is a publication to disseminate information

about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, innovative

programs, and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish.

If you would like to receive a copy, contact Patricia Ellison-Potter,

Ph.D., Editor, fax 202-366-7096, e-mail: traffic.tech@dot.gov.

that intensified enforcement during the RDP experienced

greater gains in belt use in theirtargeted rural areas than they

did statewide.

There was a median 7-point increase in usage in targeted rural 

areas, compared with a median 5-point statewide increase (see

Figure 2). There were substantial differences between States

that intensified enforcement during the RDP and States that

did not. Specifically, there was a 9-point median increase

in the targeted areas of the three RDP-enforcement States

(IL, IN, and OH) compared with a 3-point increase in the

non-enforcement States (MI, MN, and WI). Thus, the rural

estimates of change in the three enforcement States were

considerably greater than the statewide estimates, indicating

that two waves of enforcement (i.e., RDP + CIOT) yielded a

greater impact on belt usage than one wave (i.e., CIOT only).

Figure 2. Overall Change in Seat Belt Usage Rural Targeted 

Areas vs. Statewide

(Entries represent absolute change, rounded to nearest whole percent)

*Intensified enforcement during RDP media period

Table 1 contains median usage rates and changes for multiple

sub-groups included in the observational surveys. The far

right column indicates how many States contributed data

relating to each sub-group. Overall, this table shows that

there were substantial differences in the seat belt use rates of

males versus females, younger versus older occupants, and

occupants in pickups versus other vehicles. With regard to

change, the largest changes occurred during CIOT.

Table 1. Changes in Seat Belt Use by Sub-Group

Sub-Group

Median Usage 

Rates (%)

Median 

Change (pts)

# 

States 

Pre Post w3-w1 Overall (6 Total)

Drivers 72 78 +7 6

Passengers 70 79 +7 6

Males 64 68 +5 5

Females 77 85 +7 5

Young (16-24) 64 71 +2 4

Adult (30-64) 72 79 +6 4

Senior (65+) 76 84 +6 4

Passenger Cars 76 84 +7 6

SUVs 74 79 +6 5

Vans 81 87 +3 5

Light Trucks 56 65 +6 6

In summary, the addition of enforcement to paid media

during the RDP appears to have added to the impact of

the overall mobilization in those areas. Generally, seat belt

usage did not increase unless enforcement was present and

two enforcement waves appeared to be more effective than

one wave.

How to Order

For a copy of Effectiveness of the May 2005 Rural Demonstration 

Program and the Click It or Ticket Mobilization in the Great 

Lakes Area: First Year Results (38 pages plus appendices),

prepared by the Preusser Research Group, write to the Office

of Behavioral Safety Research, NHTSA, NTI-130, 1200 New

Jersey Avenue, Washington DC 20590, send a fax to 202-366-

7096, or download from http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov. John

Siegler, Ph.D., was the task order manager.

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., NTI-130

Washington, DC 20590

IL* IN* OH* MI MN WI

Targeted Statewide

0

5

10

15

Percentage Points

12

7

9

2

6

3 3

5 5 5

4

8