A Study of Nighttime Seat Belt Use in Indiana [Final Report]

Vivoda, Jonathon M.; Eby, David W.; St. Louis, Rene´e M.; Kostyniuk, Lidia P. · 2006 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This study investigates nighttime seat belt use in Indiana to determine if usage rates differ from daytime patterns and to assess the impact of the May 2006 "Click It or Ticket" mobilization campaign. Motivated by prior research suggesting lower nighttime compliance and a lack of data outside the Northeastern United States, the researchers aimed to compare pre- and post-mobilization belt use rates between day and night. The study was conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The methodology involved two full statewide nighttime direct observation surveys, conducted in April (pre-mobilization) and June (post-mobilization) 2006. Nighttime was defined as the period between 9:30 p.m. and 5:45 a.m., covering hours of darkness. Observers used specialized night vision equipment and infrared spotlights to monitor shoulder belt use, driver/passenger demographics, and vehicle types at 113 sites across Indiana. These sites and procedures were designed to match concurrent daytime surveys conducted by the Center for the Advancement of Transportation Safety (CATS) to allow for direct comparison. Data were collected using personal digital assistants (PDAs) and weighted based on traffic volume and vehicle miles traveled. The results indicated a statistically significant decrease in overall nighttime seat belt use from 79.0% in the pre-mobilization wave to 74.0% in the post-mobilization wave. In contrast, daytime use increased significantly from 79.7% to 84.3% during the same period. This divergence suggests that the daytime-focused mobilization campaign positively affected daytime compliance but had no positive effect on nighttime use, with no obvious explanation for the nighttime decline. Comparisons between day and night showed no significant difference in belt use prior to the campaign, but a significant difference emerged post-campaign, driven by the daytime increase and nighttime decrease. Demographic analysis revealed that common daytime trends persisted at night, such as lower belt use among males compared to females and lower use in pickup trucks compared to cars and SUVs. However, nighttime patterns differed in age and seating position effects. Unlike daytime studies, there was no significant difference in belt use between younger (16–29) and middle-aged (30–59) drivers at night. Additionally, while drivers typically show higher compliance than passengers during the day, this difference was not statistically significant in the post-mobilization nighttime wave. The study concludes that enforcement campaigns focused on daytime hours may not effectively improve nighttime seat belt use, highlighting a persistent safety gap during night hours.

Key finding

Nighttime seat belt use decreased significantly from 79.0% to 74.0% during the mobilization period while daytime use increased from 79.7% to 84.3%.

Methodology

naturalistic

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