PASSENGER CAR SIZE AND DRIVER SEAT BELT USE

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) claims, on the basis of survey results, that seat belt use in small cars is twice as high as in large cars. The agency interprets this as being due in part to perceptions of higher risk by small car occupants. In fact, little is known about the factors motivating belt use, including whether risk perception is important. A reanalysis of the NHTSA data indicates that most of the differences in belt use by car size can be explained by higher use in imported cars, and by geographical differences in belt use in domestic cars.

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Authors:
  • O'Neill, B
  • Williams, A F
  • Karpf, R S
• Publication Date: 1982-10

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Compact automobiles; Hazards; Injuries; Manual safety belts; Prevention; Risk assessment; Utilization; Vehicle size
• Old TRIS Terms: Small car
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00376291
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-034 192
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 30 1983 12:00AM