Staging Website
This page is connected to a test database. Data is not necessarily up-to-date and could be wiped out at any time.
Evidence matters. Find policies, programs, and systems changes that are a good fit for your community priorities.

Enhanced seat belt enforcement programs

Evidence Rating
Strategies with this rating are most likely to make a difference. These strategies have been tested in many robust studies with consistently positive results.
Disparity Rating
No impact on disparities likely
Community Conditions
Safety and social support
Authors
Lead: Kate Austin Stanford
Contributor(s): Alison Bergum
Date Last Updated
June 2, 2015

Enhanced seat belt enforcement programs add publicity and other strategies to existing enforcement efforts (CG-Motor vehicle injury). Enhanced enforcement programs often include supplemental patrols, an increased number of officers on patrol, targeted patrols or publicity campaigns that increase public awareness of enhanced enforcement programs (NHTSA-Goodwin 2013). 

What could this strategy improve?

Expected Benefits

Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:

  • Increased seat belt use
  • Reduced fatal and non-fatal injuries

What does the research say about effectiveness? -+

There is strong evidence that enhanced seat belt enforcement programs increase seat belt use and reduce fatal and non-fatal injuries (CG-Motor vehicle injury). Programs are more effective in suburban and rural settings than urban areas (Dihn-Zarr 2001).

Enhanced enforcement programs that use targeted patrols are equally as effective as supplemental patrols in increasing seat belt use. Such programs have also led to additional arrests for other crimes, such as alcohol-impaired driving, possession of drugs or weapons, and license violations (Dihn-Zarr 2001).

Enhanced nighttime enforcement efforts have been shown to increase night seatbelt use (NHTSA-Solomon 2009, NHTSA-Thomas 2010).

Implementation Examples -+

Enhanced seat belt enforcement programs have been implemented at the city, county, state, and national levels (Dihn-Zarr 2001). Click It or Ticket is an example of a frequently used campaign (NHTSA-TSM).

Implementation Resources -+

NHTSA-TSM - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Marketing (TSM).

Citations -+

CG-Motor vehicle injury - The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). Motor vehicle injury prevention.

Dihn-Zarr 2001 - Dihn-Zarr TB, Sleet DA, Shults RA, et al. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to increase the use of safety belts. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2001; 21(4S):48-65.

NHTSA-Goodwin 2013 - Goodwin A, Sandt B, Hall W, Thomas L, O’Brien N, Summerlin D. Countermeasures that work: A highway safety countermeasure guide for state highway safety offices, 7th edition. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2013.

NHTSA-Solomon 2009 - Solomon MG, Chaffe RHB, Preusser DF. Nighttime enforcement of seat belt laws: An evaluation of three community programs. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2009.

NHTSA-Thomas 2010 - Thomas FD, Blomberg RD, Van Dyk, J. Evaluation of the first year of the Washington nighttime seat belt enforcement program. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT); 2010.

NHTSA-TSM - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Marketing (TSM).