2016 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey; Volume 1, Methodology Report

Bailly, Kisha; Martin, Kelly; Block, Alan W. · 2019 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This methodology report details the design, implementation, and data collection procedures for the 2016 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey (MVOSS), conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study aimed to produce nationally representative estimates of self-reported behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge regarding traffic safety among U.S. adults aged 18 and older. This iteration marked a significant methodological shift from previous surveys, transitioning from telephone administration to a multi-mode approach using address-based sampling (ABS) with web and mail response options. The survey also changed from interviewer-administered to self-administered formats to mitigate social desirability bias and expanded the age eligibility from 16 to 18 years. The research team employed a rigorous development process including cognitive testing, usability testing, and two rounds of pilot testing to refine the instrument and data collection protocols. Pilot experiments determined that addressing envelopes to named addressees rather than generic "residents" significantly improved response rates. Additionally, pilot results indicated that combining a $1 pre-incentive with a $5 post-incentive yielded the highest participation rates, leading to the elimination of telephone follow-up in favor of focused mail and web incentives. The final sample was drawn from the Computerized Delivery Sequence file, stratified by NHTSA regions, and utilized a within-household selection method based on birthdays to ensure random adult selection. Data collection occurred between June 2016 and February 2017 via a five-stage mailing protocol that alternated between web-only invitations and mail packets. The survey yielded 11,419 completed questionnaires, comprising 6,009 completions for Version A (seat belt use, speeding, cell phone use) and 5,410 for Version B (child passenger safety, emergency medical services). Version A achieved a response rate of 31.18%, while Version B reached 24.47%. The lower response rate for Version B was attributed to its longer paper questionnaire, which discouraged mail completion; consequently, the final mailing for Version B emphasized web completion. Web respondents primarily used desktop or laptop computers, with average completion times of approximately 21 minutes. The report includes detailed analyses of non-response bias, comparing respondent demographics to U.S. Census estimates and evaluating differences between early and late responders to inform sample weighting adjustments. The significance of this report lies in its documentation of the methodological adaptations required to maintain data quality and representativeness when shifting from telephone to address-based sampling. By detailing the experimental decisions regarding incentives, addressing protocols, and mode administration, the report provides a transparent framework for interpreting the resulting safety data. It also highlights the challenges of maintaining comparability across survey years due to changes in administration mode and age eligibility, offering critical context for researchers analyzing long-term trends in motor vehicle occupant safety.

Key finding

The 2016 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey collected 11,419 completed questionnaires using address-based sampling with web and mail modes, achieving a 31.18% response rate for Version A and a 24.47% response rate for Version B.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 11419

Provenance

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

Topics

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• seat belt use
• child passenger safety

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence