Kansas Adult Observational Safety Belt Usage Rates

NHTSA · 2011 · ROSA P / Kansas. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

This document presents observational data on safety belt usage rates in Kansas, compiled by the Kansas Department of Transportation. It addresses the need to monitor compliance with the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act (KSA 8-2501) and the Child Passenger Safety Act (KSA 8-1343) by providing detailed statistics for both adults and children across various demographics, road types, and counties. The data covers the period from 2002 to 2010 for adults and 2004 to 2010 for children, allowing for the assessment of trends in seat belt adherence over time. The methodology for the adult survey adheres to federal guidelines outlined in the Uniform Criteria manual. Observations were conducted at 548 sites across six different road types in 20 randomly selected counties, which collectively encompass 85% of Kansas’s population. The surveys took place during June and July, observing more than 65,000 drivers and front outboard passengers. Similarly, the child survey followed the adult survey guidelines, utilizing 350 sites where children are commonly transported, such as day cares, department stores, and schools, within the same 20 counties. These observations occurred in March, April, and May, covering more than 19,000 children. The results indicate a general upward trend in safety belt usage for both adults and children over the study period. Adult usage rates in Kansas rose from 61% in 2002 to 82% in 2010, though they remained consistently lower than the national average, which increased from 75% to 85% during the same timeframe. Usage varied significantly by road type; rural interstates showed the highest compliance (89% in 2010), while rural major and minor collectors had the lowest (71% in 2010). Child restraint usage also improved, with the overall percentage of belted children increasing from 61% in 2004 to 77% in 2010. Compliance was highest among children aged 0–4 (97% in 2010) and lowest among those aged 10–14 (68% in 2010). County-level data reveals substantial variation, with some counties like Sedgwick reaching 88% adult usage in 2010, while others like Crawford remained at 72%. The significance of these findings lies in the detailed breakdown of compliance by age, location, and road type, which highlights specific areas for targeted safety interventions. The persistent gap between Kansas and national averages, particularly in rural areas and among older children, suggests ongoing challenges in enforcement or public awareness. The data provides a comprehensive baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of state safety laws and informs future traffic safety strategies by identifying demographic and geographic groups with lower adherence rates.

Key finding

Kansas adult seat belt use rose from 61 percent in 2002 to 82 percent in 2010, remaining below the national rate, with highest use on interstates and lowest on rural collector roads.

Methodology

field_study

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