Evaluation of a Rural Demonstration Program to Increase Seat Belt Use in the Great Lakes Region

Nichols, James L.; Tison, Julie; Solomon, Mark G.; Ledingham, Katherine A.; Preusser, David F. · 2009 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Behavioral Safety Research

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Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of a two-year Rural Demonstration Program (RDP) implemented in 2005 and 2006 across six states in the Great Lakes Region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The program aimed to increase seat belt usage in rural areas and among high-risk occupants, such as young males and pickup truck drivers, who historically exhibit lower compliance rates. The RDP served as a precursor to the national "Click It or Ticket" (CIOT) mobilizations, combining targeted media campaigns with intensified law enforcement efforts to address the plateauing national trends in seat belt use. The study utilized a mixed-methods evaluation design involving telephone surveys to measure public awareness and perceptions, observational surveys to track actual seat belt usage, and analysis of crash victim data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The intervention consisted of paid media campaigns targeting approximately 227 counties, with expenditures of roughly $1.2 million for the RDP and $3.2 million for the subsequent CIOT phase in 2006. Enforcement strategies varied by state but generally included saturation patrols and overtime funding, with five of the six states intensifying enforcement during the 2006 RDP. Citation rates were monitored, with primary law states generally meeting or exceeding benchmark levels of 20 citations per 10,000 residents. Results indicated significant increases in both awareness and observed seat belt usage. Telephone surveys revealed large, significant gains in awareness of special enforcement efforts, though baseline awareness was higher in 2006, resulting in slightly smaller incremental changes compared to 2005. Observational data showed a median 6.5-point increase in rural seat belt use in 2005 and a 3.8-point increase in 2006. Over the two-year period, rural areas saw a median 9.2-point increase in usage, while statewide increases averaged 6.5 points. Notably, high-risk subgroups, including males, youth, and pickup truck occupants, experienced average gains of 11 to 12 percentage points. Furthermore, while national seat belt usage trends leveled off after 2004, the Great Lakes Region continued to show upward trends in both observed usage and usage among crash victims, maintaining a 3- to 5-point advantage over the national average by 2006. The findings suggest that the Rural Demonstration Program successfully sustained momentum in seat belt compliance during a period of national stagnation. The study concludes that the 2005 mobilization had a greater immediate impact than the 2006 effort, likely due to lower baseline awareness. However, the cumulative two-year effect was substantial, particularly in reaching high-risk demographics. The report highlights that focused enforcement and media campaigns in rural areas can effectively counteract low-use behaviors, offering a model for future safety initiatives aimed at reducing fatalities among vulnerable populations.

Key finding

The two-year rural demonstration program produced a median 9.2-point increase in observed seat belt usage in targeted rural areas and significant gains among high-risk groups, including males, youth, and pickup truck occupants.

Methodology

mixed_methods

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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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence