2000 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

Agent, Kenneth R. · 2000 · ROSA P / University of Kentucky Transportation Center

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Summary

This report presents the findings of the 2000 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky, conducted by the University of Kentucky Transportation Center in cooperation with the Kentucky State Police. The study aims to establish statewide safety belt and child safety seat usage rates, continuing a long-term observational effort initiated in 1982 to monitor the impact of legislation and enforcement on occupant protection. Specifically, the survey evaluates trends following the enactment of a statewide mandatory safety belt law in 1994, which utilizes secondary enforcement, and compares current usage against historical data. Data were collected between May and August 2000 at 200 randomly selected sites across Kentucky. The site selection methodology, aligned with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines, stratified locations by geographic region and roadway functional classification, weighting samples by vehicle miles traveled. Observers recorded restraint usage for drivers and front-seat passengers in passenger cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs, as well as for children under four years of age in both front and rear seats. The survey also included observations of motorcycle and bicycle helmet usage. A total sample of 119,844 front-seat occupants was analyzed, with statistical weighting applied to determine statewide rates. The results indicate that the statewide safety belt usage rate for all front-seat occupants was 59.8% in 2000, a slight increase from 59% in 1999 and significantly higher than the 42% rate recorded in 1993 prior to the statewide law. Driver usage specifically reached 60.3%, while front-seat passenger usage was 57.6%. Usage rates varied by location and vehicle type, with the highest compliance observed on rural interstates (69.5%) and in sport utility vehicles (67.4%), and the lowest on rural local roads (49.1%) and in pickup trucks (42.5%). Child restraint usage for those under four years old remained high at 87.2%, with significantly higher compliance in rear seats compared to front seats. Additionally, motorcycle helmet usage dropped to 70% following the repeal of the mandatory helmet law in 1998, while bicycle helmet usage remained low at 24%. The authors conclude that safety belt usage has reached its highest level since surveys began, attributing this to continued education and enforcement efforts. However, they note that secondary enforcement limits potential gains. The report recommends modifying the law to allow primary enforcement for all occupants, or at minimum for drivers in the graduated license program, to maximize compliance. The data also highlight specific areas for targeted enforcement, particularly in the eastern region of the state and among pickup truck occupants.

Key finding

Statewide front-seat safety belt usage was 60% in 2000 (weighted estimate 59.8%), up slightly from 59% in 1999 and well above the 42% pre-law rate in 1993; child restraint/belt use for children under four was 87% (down from 89% in 1999).

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: n=119,844 front-seat occupants observed at 200 sites

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (5 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• seat belt use
• incidence prevalence
• child passenger safety

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence