Safety Belt Usage Rates at High Schools and Colleges in Rhode Island: Final Report

Berman, Daniel J.; Schaffran, Jerome; Fong, Allison · 2004 · ROSA P / University of Rhode Island. Transportation Center

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Summary

This study addresses the lack of baseline data on seat belt usage patterns and attitudes among teenagers, a demographic with disproportionately high motor vehicle fatality rates. Motivated by the need to develop targeted interventions to increase usage rates in Rhode Island, the research aimed to categorize behavior, identify reasons for non-use, and compare local findings with national statistics. The project was conducted by the University of Rhode Island Transportation Center in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach involving self-reported surveys and observational data. Researchers distributed 15,176 paper surveys to students in grades 9–12 across 29 Rhode Island high schools and 3,250 electronic surveys to students at five colleges. Additionally, 13 observational surveys were conducted at high school parking lots during morning arrival periods to verify self-reported data. The survey instrument was modeled after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey, while observational protocols followed the National Occupant Protection Use Survey standards. Data were analyzed for disparities based on gender, grade, and location. The findings revealed a significant disparity between reported and observed seat belt usage. While 83% of high school students reported wearing seat belts, the average observed usage rate was only 73.7%. When accounting for students who admitted to not wearing a belt on the day of the survey, the effective usage rate dropped to 69.5%. Similarly, 90% of college students reported usage, but observed rates were only 73.7%. Male drivers exhibited significantly lower observed usage rates than females. The primary reason cited for non-use was traveling short distances, particularly among ninth graders. Peer pressure also influenced behavior; 9th graders were more susceptible to peer influence than 12th graders, and many students reported being less likely to wear belts when driving with friends. The study establishes a critical baseline for Rhode Island, highlighting that self-reported data overestimates actual compliance. The results underscore the vulnerability of teens to peer influence and the prevalence of short-distance non-use. These findings are intended to guide the Rhode Island Department of Transportation in designing specific interventions to achieve a 90% statewide usage rate. The developed survey model is also distributed for national use to help other regions assess and improve teen seat belt safety.

Key finding

Observed seat belt usage rates were significantly lower than self-reported rates, with high school students showing a 73.7% observed rate compared to an 83% reported rate, and college students showing a 73.7% observed rate compared to a 90% reported rate.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 18426

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