North Dakota Statewide Traffic Safety Survey, 2010 : Traffic Safety Performance Measures for State and Federal Agencies

Vachal, Kimberly; Benson, Laurel · 2010 · ROSA P / North Dakota. Dept. of Transportation

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This report presents the findings of the 2010 North Dakota Statewide Traffic Safety Survey, conducted to establish performance measures for state and federal agencies. The study was motivated by the need to improve transparency and quantify metrics for behavior-based investments aimed at reducing motor vehicle crashes, aligning with initiatives by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Specifically, the survey addressed gaps in measuring driver attitudes, awareness, and self-reported behaviors regarding impaired driving, seat belt use, and speeding. The researchers employed a mail survey methodology, distributing questionnaires to a disproportionate stratified random sample of 7,120 drivers selected from state registration records. The sample was stratified by region (east/west) and geography (rural/urban), with oversampling of male drivers aged 18–34 to ensure sufficient data for subgroup analysis. The survey instrument included ten core questions aligned with national performance measures, supplemented by additional questions on policy preferences, enforcement awareness, and teen driver training. The survey yielded 2,172 valid responses, resulting in a 31.6% response rate. Post-stratification weighting was applied to adjust for sampling disparities and ensure results accurately reflected the statewide driver population. Key findings revealed discrepancies between observed and self-reported behaviors. While official data indicated 81.5% seat belt use, only 58% of respondents reported always wearing seat belts. Regarding impaired driving, 44% of drivers who consume alcohol reported driving within two hours of drinking in the past 60 days. Drivers perceived a higher likelihood of being ticketed for speeding (56%) than for drunk driving (51%) or seat belt violations (40%). Awareness of enforcement campaigns was highest for drunk driving (85%) and seat belts (77%), but lowest for speeding (57%). Statistical analysis showed weak correlations between enforcement perceptions and actual behavior, suggesting enforcement alone may not strongly deter risky actions. Additionally, 70% of drivers supported tougher DUI penalties and a primary seat belt law, while only 37% favored increased speeding fines. Drivers also expressed strong support for increased teen driver training requirements, with majorities recommending at least 20 hours of classroom and supervised driving. The significance of this study lies in its provision of robust, behavior-based data to support traffic safety planning and resource allocation. By quantifying driver attitudes and self-reported behaviors, the survey offers a benchmark for tracking performance and evaluating the effectiveness of safety programs. The findings highlight areas where enforcement perceptions do not align with behavior, suggesting a need for targeted education and policy interventions. Furthermore, the data supports the implementation of stricter policies for DUI and seat belt use, as well as enhanced training standards for young drivers, providing evidence-based guidance for the North Dakota Department of Transportation and federal partners.

Key finding

44% of drinking drivers reported driving within two hours of alcohol consumption in the past 60 days, while only 5% of drivers reported frequent speeding, and self-reported seat belt use was 58% compared to an 81.5% observed rate.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 2172

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

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

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• seat belt use
• sex gender
• incidence prevalence
• public messaging
• exposure measurement
• cultural cross national

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes