National occupant protection use survey 2000 : controlled intersection study

Bondy, N.; Glassbrenner, D. · 2001 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This research note presents findings from the Controlled Intersection Study component of the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) conducted in the fall of 2000. Sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the study aims to monitor trends in shoulder belt and child restraint usage across the United States. The primary motivation was to assess changes in occupant protection behaviors compared to previous survey years (1994, 1996, and 1998), with a specific focus on demographic variations and vehicle types. The methodology involved a multi-stage, probability-based sample survey. Data collection occurred over 40-minute intervals at approximately 1,200 randomly selected intersections equipped with stop signs or traffic signals. Observers recorded restraint use for drivers and right-front passengers in passenger cars, vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and pickup trucks, excluding commercial and emergency vehicles. Observers also estimated the age, sex, and race of occupants and documented child restraint use for children under five. The study covered all days of the week and daylight hours (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Estimates were statistically weighted to account for sampling variability, with sampling errors provided for each metric. The results indicated a statistically significant 12 percentage point increase in shoulder belt use among Young Adults (ages 16–24) compared to 1998, continuing an upward trend observed since 1994. Overall restraint use remained highest in passenger cars (73%) and vans/SUVs (74%), while pickup truck occupants exhibited the lowest rates (60%). Belt use was higher among females (77%) than males (67%) and increased with age, reaching 76% for seniors. While urbanization showed slight variations, differences between urban, suburban, and rural areas were generally not statistically significant, except for pickup truck users who had significantly higher use rates in cities. Regarding children under five, overall restraint rates were high (91%), but data reliability was limited by small sample sizes. Notably, a significant portion of infants and toddlers were observed in the front seat, and some toddlers were restrained by shoulder belts rather than appropriate child safety seats. The significance of these findings lies in the identification of persistent gaps in occupant protection, particularly among pickup truck occupants and younger demographics. The data highlights the continued improvement in general belt use but underscores safety concerns regarding the placement and restraint type for young children. The study provides critical baseline data for NHTSA to evaluate the effectiveness of safety regulations and public awareness campaigns, while also noting the statistical limitations inherent in observing rare events like child restraint misuse or specific demographic subsets.

Key finding

Shoulder belt use among young adults increased by 12 percentage points from 1998 to 2000, representing the only statistically significant age-group change, while pickup truck occupants consistently showed the lowest use rates compared to other vehicle types.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 12000

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
• incidence prevalence

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes