Evaluation of New York State’s Mandatory Occupant Restraint Law: Volume II: Attitudinal Surveys of Licensed Drivers in New York State

Rood, Debra H.; Kraichy, Patricia P. · 1985 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report evaluates the impact of New York State’s Mandatory Occupant Restraint Law, implemented on December 1, 1984, by analyzing attitudinal surveys of licensed drivers. As the first state to enact such legislation for adults and children, New York’s experience was monitored to assess changes in driver behavior, awareness, and perceptions. The study aimed to explain shifts in restraint use observed in separate observational surveys by examining the psychological and social factors influencing compliance. The methodology involved three telephone surveys conducted by the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research. A baseline survey was administered in October 1984, followed by post-law surveys in March 1985 and September 1985. Each survey utilized random-digit dialing to contact a representative sample of 1,000 licensed drivers, stratified by county to reflect the state’s population distribution. Data were analyzed statewide, by region (New York City, Long Island, and Upstate), and by demographic characteristics including sex, age, income, and education. The results indicated a significant initial increase in self-reported safety belt usage, rising from 29% in the baseline survey to 67% in March 1985. However, usage declined slightly to 63% by September 1985. Awareness of the law reached nearly 100% after implementation, and support for the legislation increased from 65% in the baseline and first post-law surveys to 71% in September 1985. Despite growing support, the perception of strict enforcement decreased sharply, dropping from 40% in October 1984 to 23% in September 1985. Demographic analysis revealed that men, drivers aged 16–24, and those with less than a high school education were least likely to buckle up. Conversely, usage among children under ten increased substantially, reaching 96% in September 1985. The study concludes that the initial surge in restraint use was driven by the law’s implementation, while the subsequent decline was attributed to reduced publicity and a low perceived threat of enforcement, rather than waning support for the law. The findings suggest that sustained compliance relies heavily on perceived enforcement strictness. The report notes that further analysis of accident data is required to determine the law’s ultimate effectiveness in reducing injuries and fatalities.

Key finding

Reported safety belt usage increased from 29 percent to 67 percent after the law's implementation but declined to 63 percent by September 1985 due to decreased publicity and lower perceived enforcement strictness.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 1000

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: policy recommendations
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence