SURVEY OF OCCUPANT RESTRAINT: STAGE 2

This study was commissioned to provide information on seat belt wearing rates in the northern territory and in provincial towns in Victoria and New South Wales. Data was obtained through observation of restraint use in alice springs and darwin and in six towns in each of Victoria and New South Wales. A strict sampling frame was followed that ensured as far as possible that a representative sample of road users in the surveyed towns was obtained. The results of this survey were found to be very similar to those of the stage 1 survey. This lends credence to the conclusion that the results of the two surveys are representative of conditions in provincial towns in Australia. Overall, approximately 80 per cent of vehicle occupants were observed to wear seat belts. Overall wearing rates were substantially lower in the northern territory than in Victoria and New South Wales. Significant differences in seat belt wearing rates occurred with seating position. Drivers and those passengers in the front left seat wore restraints at a higher rate than other vehicle occupants. Occupants of seats fitted with inertia reel belts wore them at a higher rate than occupants of seats fitted with static belts. Where child restraints were installed, they were worn at a higher than average rate. Wearing rates in cars, station wagons and vans were higher than wearing rates in utilities. No major difference in wearing rates was observed between large and small towns. Major variation in wearing rates was observed with age. Higher than average wearing rates were observed amongst very young children. Rates were lower amongst 2 to 4 year olds, and 5 to 7 year olds, but rose uniformly with age group for older occupants. Wearing rates for females was slightly higher than for males. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/064251187X
• Corporate Authors:

  Office of Road Safety, Australia

  GPO Box 594
  Canberra, A.C.T.,   Australia 
• Publication Date: 1988-9

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 54 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Children; Data collection; Highway safety; Interviewing; Manual safety belts; Restraint systems; Rural areas; Seat belts; Seats; Statistics; Towns; Vehicle occupants; Vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Characteristics; Observation; Use
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ITRD Terms: 1757: Age; 8006: Australia; 1758: Child; 8623: Data acquisition; 9147: Interview; 1466: Passive safety system; 5925: Properties; 328: Rural area; 1665: Safety; 1476: Safety belt; 1388: Seat (veh); 6555: Statistics; 9101: Surveillance; 313: Urban area; 9084: Use; 1255: Vehicle; 1715: Vehicle occupant
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00491492
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 0-642-51187-X
• Report/Paper Numbers: CR 76
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 31 1990 12:00AM