SAFETY BELT USAGE IN THE NETHERLANDS 1979-1983

AANWEZIGHEID EN GEBRUIK VAN AUTOGORDELS 1979-1983

Using a method designed in 1978, whereby an observer looks inside the car while it is waiting at traffic lights to see whether belts are being worn, the development of seat belt usage is described and analysed. Usage increased up to 1980 (it had been increasing ever since seat belt wearing was made compulsory in 1975) and decreased steadily, though not greatly, afterwards. The highest wearing rates were circa 75% outside the built-up area and ca. 60% inside the built-up area in 1980. By 1983 rates had declined to ca. 65% outside and ca. 45% inside the built-up area. The highest wearing rate occurs on motorways (in 1983 ca 70%) and the lowest on local roads in towns (ca. 40% in 1983). In the relatively thinly-populated North of Holland seat belt usage is about the highest and in the densely-populated West the lowest. More than 90% of Dutch cars are fitted with lap-and-shoulder belts, so differences in usage between different types of belts have little meaning. The newer the car the higher the wearing rate, but there are only slight differences. There are two appendices to this report: a comparison of the old and new methods carried out simultaneously in 1979, and an examination of how representative the sampling technique used with the new method is. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV

  Bezuidenhoutseweg 62
  The Hague,   Netherlands  2594 AW
• Authors:
  • ARNOLDUS, J G
  • VARKEVISSER, G A
• Publication Date: 1984

Language

• Dutch

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: n.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Data collection; Density; Evaluation and assessment; Interviewing; Manual safety belts; Methodology; Passive restraint systems; Population; Rural highways; Seat belts; Signalized intersections; Traffic signals; Traffic surveillance; Urban areas; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Use
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 8623: Data acquisition; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 9147: Interview; 9102: Method; 8078: Netherlands; 1466: Passive safety system; 1476: Safety belt; 565: Traffic signal; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392653
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-84-13 Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 29 1985 12:00AM