Evaluation of New York State's Mandatory Occupant Restraint Law: Volume III: Observational Surveys of Safety Restraint Use by Children in New York State

Rood, Debra H.; Kraichy, Patricia P. · 1986 · 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 in December 1984 with enforcement beginning January 1, 1985. The law mandated safety restraint use for all front-seat occupants and all children under ten years of age, regardless of seating position. The study specifically assesses changes in safety restraint usage among children under ten through three observational surveys conducted at shopping centers across the state. The methodology involved observational data collection at fifteen shopping centers in Upstate, New York City, and Long Island regions. Observers recorded the age, seating position, and restraint status of children, as well as the sex and restraint status of drivers. Data were gathered during a baseline survey in October 1984 and two post-law surveys in April 1985 and September 1985. Results were analyzed statewide and by region, with children categorized into three age groups: 0–3, 4–6, and 7–9 years. Statewide restraint use among children increased from 42% in the baseline survey to 61% in April 1985, then declined slightly to 57% in September 1985. Usage rates were inversely related to age; children aged 0–3 showed the highest compliance (rising from 71% to 82%), while older groups (4–6 and 7–9 years) exhibited lower and more volatile usage rates. Seating position significantly influenced compliance: while back-seat usage was higher than front-seat usage prior to the law, post-law surveys showed higher restraint use in the front seat, driven by the mandate for all front-seat occupants. Driver compliance also increased, tripling from 21% to 68% in April 1985 before dropping to 51% in September 1985. A strong correlation existed between driver and child restraint use; children riding with restrained drivers were significantly more likely to be restrained than those with unrestrained drivers. Regional disparities were evident. Upstate regions maintained the highest usage rates, while Long Island experienced a dramatic decline in child restraint use by September 1985, dropping nearly 20 percentage points from the April 1985 peak. The study concludes that the law positively affected restraint use, particularly for front-seat occupants and younger children. However, the decline in driver compliance over time adversely affected child usage rates, especially for older children in the back seat. The authors suggest that increased awareness of the back-seat provision and improved driver compliance are necessary to sustain higher usage rates.

Key finding

Child restraint use increased from 42 percent to 61 percent following the law's implementation, with front-seat usage exceeding back-seat usage and driver restraint status being a strong predictor of child restraint compliance.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 4456

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• child passenger safety
• seat belt use

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence