Seat belts save lives and NHTSA provides national leadership in planning and developing traffic injury control safety programs in the areas of seat belts, child car seat use, and automatic occupant protection systems (e.g., air bags).
Effectiveness of Child Passenger Safety Information for the Safe Transportation of Children (DOT HS 812 245)
Parents and caregivers struggle to comply with child passenger safety (CPS) recommendations, and frequently make mistakes when choosing and installing restraints. This project developed and tested ways to frame CPS recommendations and determined how to best communicate them. In a randomized experiment, 300 parents viewed one of four flyers or a no-education control version. The flyers communicated the same CPS recommendations but used different emphasis frames. A second randomized experiment let 240 parents view one of four flyers about CPS recommendations (1) alone, (2) with installation tips, (3) with normative information, or (4) with installation tips and normative information. For both studies, participants responded to computerized pre-post surveys that measured CPS knowledge, attitudes, perceptions of efficacy and risk, and behavioral intentions.
Motor Vehicle Occupant Protection Facts (Children/Youth/Young Adults) DOT HS 812 215
This booklet is updated from the 2008 edition, and has occupant protection data and facts about children (newborns to age 7), youth (8 to 15 years old), and young adults 16 to 20. It has three sections: general information on the need for and importance of promoting occupant restraint use for children, youth, and young adults; occupant protection facts specific to children and youth, and facts for and about young adults; and findings from NHTSA's Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Surveys on self-reported behavior, attitudes, and opinions about seat belt use and laws.
Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection and Motorcycle Laws
This publication provides summary charts of the key provisions of State occupant protection and motorcycle laws, and detailed lists of these laws in every State, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Such laws include requiring the use of (1) seat belts, (2) child passenger restraint devices (child car seats and booster seats), and
(3) motorcycle or bicycle helmets. Also included are laws concerning age restrictions for motorcycle passengers and laws that prohibit riding in the bed of a pickup truck. Except as noted, the State laws reported are current as of November 15, 2013.
Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection Laws (11th Edition)
- A summary chart of the key provisions of State occupant protection laws and detailed lists of these laws in every State. Such laws include requiring the use of (1) seat belts, (2) child passenger restraint devices, and (3) motorcycle or bicycle helmets.
The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Buckling Up
Buckling up is the single most effective action you can take to protect yourself and your unborn child in a crash. During a crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe inside your vehicle. If you ride unbuckled, you could be thrown out of your car or collide with other passengers. Seat belts are also the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. More information at Parents Central or download a pdf flyer.
What You Need to Know About Air Bags
- Air bags are called supplemental restraints because they are designed to work best in combination with seat belts.
Issues Among Older Drivers and Passengers
- This background research was followed by a series of 15 focus groups with older adults in four States. Participants discussed experiences and difficulties associated with seat belt use.
African-American Seat Belt Toolkit
This toolkit provides marketing material and tools in support of your organizational efforts of increasing awareness within the African-American community of the importance of wearing seat belts.
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
1-888-327-4236
1-800-424-9153 (TTY)
Buckle Up America
