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

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Traffic Safety Facts

Traffic Tech – Technology Transfer Series

Number 381 October 2009

Increasing Seat Belt Use in New York City

Seat belt use is the single most important factor in preventing or reducing the severity of injuries to vehicle 

occupants involved in a traffic crash. When used properly, 

lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to frontseat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of 

moderate to severe injury by 50 percent. 

Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEPs) are a 

proven method of changing motorists’ behavior and doing 

it quickly. Occupant protection STEPs can raise seat belt 

use rates more substantially and more quickly than any 

other currently available program as they create a perception among motorists that they will be ticketed if they do 

not buckle up. STEPs typically span several weeks, with 

the first and second weeks focused on publicity and the 

remaining weeks concentrated on publicity combined with 

intense and highly visible enforcement. Most STEPs have 

relied on print and electronic media for earned and paid 

publicity. This program sought to create a STEP in selected 

high-risk neighborhoods within a larger metropolitan area 

using only low-cost media and police pressure. 

Preusser Research Group evaluated the effects of a seat 

belt media and enforcement demonstration program in 

an ethnically and socially diverse neighborhood in New 

York City.

Evaluation

The New York community was generally defined as Northern Boulevard, a stretch of roadway in northern Queens 

that runs from about Shea Stadium to the East River, and 

all of the surrounding neighborhoods, which included 

lower and middle socioeconomic Black, White, and Asian 

residents. The Northern Boulevard area of Queens had 

previously been identified by the New York Police Department (NYPD) as a special priority area known to have 

many vehicle crashes. Queens was selected as the target 

site, and the Bronx was selected as the control site.

Media was entirely localized, consisting of billboards and 

posters. Citywide print, radio, and television outlets were 

not used for cost reasons. 

Enforcement during the program’s four waves was 

extremely intense, resulting in 6,724 belt use tickets written on just a few miles of roadway. Approximately 160 

checkpoints took place over the course of the program. In 

addition to the seat belt checkpoints, police used roving 

patrols and increased their visibility and presence. 

While NHTSA’s national Click It or Ticket logo was included 

on each ad, the actual messages on bus shelter ads and the 

posters varied among the following four slogans:

■ DON’T GO BELTLESS. Cops are cracking down on 

unbuckled drivers and passengers

■ SAVE YOUR EXCUSES. Cops are cracking down on 

unbuckled drivers and passengers

■ PSSSST... Cops are cracking down on unbuckled drivers and passengers

■ HEY, YOU IN THE CAR... Cops are cracking down on 

unbuckled drivers and passengers

Public Awareness Surveys

During Wave 1, the NYPD conducted public awareness 

surveys at the targeted site and control site before and 

after the media/enforcement period. During the second 

and third waves, surveys were distributed only in the target site during the post periods. During the fourth wave, 

surveys were distributed in both sites pre and post the 

media and enforcement period. The table below shows 

the campaign media and enforcement dates.

Media Flight Dates Enforcement Dates

July 9 – July 22, 2007 July 20 – July 24, 2007

Oct. 8 – Oct. 21, 2007 Oct. 19 – Oct. 23, 2007

Jan. 7 – Jan. 20, 2008 Jan. 18 – Jan. 22, 2008

March 24 – April 6, 2008 April 4 – April 8, 2008

Roadside Seat Belt Observations

Pre and post seat belt observations were conducted in 

both the target and control sites. Bronx seat belt use was 

observed during both the pre and post dates for Wave 1 

(June 2007) and again during the pre and post dates for 

the final wave (April 2008).

Results

Public Awareness Surveys

There were increases in the Queens media awareness 

from pre to post Wave 1 for a select group of survey questions. The approximately 40 percent of respondents who 
answered Yes to “Have you recently read, seen or heard anything about seat belts in New York?” were then asked to select 

one or more of the following media sources (i.e., newspaper, radio, bus shelter, TV, poster, billboard, police checkpoint, or other). In Queens, increases were shown across 

all four waves for billboards, posters, and police checkpoints. The following figure shows these increases. Since 

this was a program localized to only one area of New York, 

media and outreach were restricted to billboards, posters, 

and actual police presence. These were the media sources 

that residents remembered. 

Seat Belt Observations

Observed seat belt use showed substantial increases. 

The first wave of the campaign took place directly 

after a large-scale national Click It or Ticket mobilization, so belt use started off higher than what might be 

expected to be “normal” for the program area. Significant changes in Queens seat belt use from pre to post 

Wave 1 were noted in the following categories: Overall 

(87.3% to 89.0%), Whites (86.4% to 88.7%), Males (86.1% 

to 88.1%), and Northern Boulevard as opposed to local/

side roads in Queens (88.6% to 90.7%). There were no 

significant changes in the Bronx over the same period.

Significant changes in Queens’ seat belt use were also 

noted overall in Wave 4, pre to post (85.1% to 88.7%), 

in Whites (85.0% to 88.1%), Blacks (81.5% to 88.3%), 

Males (84.3% to 87.8%), Females (87.9% to 92.0%), on 

Northern Boulevard (85.8% to 89.0%) and on local/side 

roads (84.1% to 88.4%). The last wave of enforcement 

was very successful in Queens. Belt use in the Bronx 

also showed some significant improvement, albeit not 

to the extent of what was seen in Queens.

Queens, Wave 4 – Belt Use Rate by Category

Conclusion

This program was unusual in that it accomplished highvisibility enforcement in an urban area without using 

electronic media. Belt use was generally high (above the 

national average) prior to the program and then increased 

significantly beyond these levels. The results clearly demonstrate that an urban police agency, with strong leadership and available police resources, can increase belt use 

along a high-risk corridor using reasonably priced media.

How to Order

Download a copy of Increasing Seat Belt Use in New York 

City (68 pages) from www.nhtsa.gov, or write to the Office 

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

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, fax 202-

366-7394. Patty Ellison-Potter, Ph.D. was the project manager for this study.

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 Angela H. Eichelberger, Ph.D., 

Editor, fax 202-366-7394, e-mail: angela.eichelberger@dot.gov.

Wave 4

Pre Post Significance

Queens Overall 85.1% 88.7% p<.01

Race

White 85.0% 88.1% p<.01

Black 81.5% 88.3% p<.01

Asian 88.3% 91.7% —

Gender

Male 84.3% 87.8% p<.01

Female 87.9% 92.0% p<.01

Road

Main Corridor (N. Blvd) 85.8% 89.0% p<.01

Side/Local Road 84.1% 88.4% p<.01

Time of Day

Daytime (8 a.m.–1 p.m.) 85.7% 88.9% p<.01

Evening (4 p.m.–9 p.m.) 84.5% 88.5% p<.01

Overall N N=5,177 N=5,565

Queens Media Recognition

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Pre-W1 Post-W1 Post-W2 Post-W3 Pre-W4 Post-W4

Waves

Percent Recognized

Billboard

Poster

Checkpoint

Overall Belt Use by Wave: 

Queens (target) versus Bronx (control)

78%

80%

82%

84%

86%

88%

90%

Pre-W1 Post-W1 Post-W2 Post-W3 Pre-W4 Post-W4

Wave

Percent

Queens Bronx

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., NTI-132

Washington, DC 20590