Research notes : who doesn't wear a seat belt?

NHTSA · 2006 · ROSA P / Oregon. Dept. of Transportation. Research Unit

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Summary

This research note from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) addresses the challenge of identifying non-compliant drivers in a state with exceptionally high seat belt usage rates. With a reported compliance rate of 93.3% in 2005, ODOT sought to characterize the remaining population of unbelted drivers to improve the targeting of educational programs and enforcement efforts. The study aimed to determine which specific demographic or behavioral factors correlate with seat belt non-use among drivers involved in crashes. The methodology involved analyzing Oregon crash record data from 2004, which included seat belt status, driver age, gender, and unique crash identifiers. The dataset comprised approximately 23,000 belted drivers and 1,800 unbelted drivers, yielding a 92.3% usage rate at the time of the crash. To identify predictive factors, researchers matched these crash records with Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) driver records. This linkage allowed for the comparison of seat belt usage against several variables: age at the time of the crash, gender, number of prior convictions, number of driver improvement actions, number of address changes, and number of prior crashes. The findings revealed distinct correlations between driver history and seat belt non-use. Drivers with five or more convictions on their record were nearly twice as likely to be unbelted compared to the general driving population. Similarly, drivers with four or more driver improvement actions were more than twice as likely to be unbelted. High residential instability also correlated with non-compliance; drivers with six or more address changes were more than twice as likely to not wear a seat belt. Demographic factors also played a role: male drivers were nearly one-third more likely to be unbelted than female drivers, and drivers aged 55 and older were up to 25% more likely to be unbelted than younger drivers. Conversely, the study found that drivers with four or more prior crashes were more than twice as likely to be wearing their seat belts, suggesting that previous crash experience may reinforce safety behaviors. The significance of this research lies in its application to targeted safety interventions. By identifying specific high-risk groups—such as those with extensive violation histories or frequent address changes—ODOT can refine its educational and enforcement strategies. The findings were presented to the Oregon Transportation Advisory Committee and distributed to traffic officers participating in Overtime Safety Belt Enforcement Grants. This data-driven approach allows for more efficient allocation of resources toward the specific segments of the population most likely to remain unbelted, thereby supporting continued efforts to improve overall road safety in Oregon.

Key finding

Drivers with five or more convictions, four or more driver-improvement actions, or six or more address changes on their records were each about twice as likely to be unbelted as the general driving population.

Methodology

other

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

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence