Analysis of Passenger Vehicle Driver Restraint Use in Fatal Crashes

This report examines the relationship between passenger vehicle driver seat belt use status (restrained or unrestrained) and the following factors: blood alcohol concentration (BAC), age group, previous driving while intoxicated (DWI) conviction, driver license status, estimated vehicle speed, number of vehicle occupants, driver sex, day of week, season, geographic region, State seat belt law status, time of day and rural/urban status. Using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from the years 2001 to 2010, the report estimates the relationship between driver seat belt use status and the above-listed factors with a logistic regression model. The factors most strongly associated with unrestrained driving are high BAC (greater than .15 g/dL), speeding, and the driver’s license status. High-BAC drivers’ odds of being unbelted were four times greater than drivers who had no alcohol. Speeding drivers had odds of unrestrained driving twice those of non-speeding drivers. Drivers with invalid licenses odds of unrestrained driving were 1.6 times those of drivers with valid licenses.

• Record URL:
  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811829.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Mathematical Analysis Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Pickrell, Timothy M
• Publication Date: 2013-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Technical Report
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 12p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Blood alcohol levels; Drivers; Fatalities; Logistic regression analysis; Passenger vehicles; Seat belt use; Speeding
• Identifier Terms: Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01494591
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 811 829
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 25 2013 2:56PM