CHAPTER 2: REASONS FOR SAFETY BELT USE AND NON-USE
Reasons For Safety Belt Use
Drivers who wore shoulder or lap belts at least on occasion were asked their
reasons for wearing safety belts when they drove. Nine potential reasons
for safety belt use were read to respondents. They were asked whether each
reason was a factor in their use of safety belts. The respondents were then
given an opportunity to volunteer other reasons for their safety belt use.
Almost all drivers (95%) said that avoiding serious injury was a reason they
wore their safety belts. Injury avoidance ranked first
regardless of the group to which persons belonged (see following pages). The drivers also frequently
attributed safety belt use to habit (85%), the law (82%), wanting to set
a good example for others (74%), and not wanting a ticket (71%).
![figure 23 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig23.gif)
While almost all drivers (96%) who said they wore their safety belts “all” or “most” of the time gave injury avoidance as a reason for use, only 73% of those who “sometimes” or “rarely” wore safety belts did the same. Frequent users also were more likely than infrequent users to mention the law, setting a good example, and characteristics of regular use (habit; uncomfortable without it). Infrequent users (55%) were more likely than regular users (45%) to report wearing their safety belts because others wanted them to do so.
![figure 24 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig24.gif)
Females, on average,
gave more reasons for their safety belt use, as evidenced by the generally
higher percentages. They were particularly more likely than males to report
wearing their safety belt because they were uncomfortable without it (64%
to 56%), wanted to set a good example for others (79% to 69%), and it was
the law (86% to 77%).
Drivers ages 16 through 20 showed more concern about getting a ticket (80%)
than did drivers ages 21 to 64 (71%) or 65 and older (66%). Younger drivers
were more likely than the older age groups to say they wore their safety
belt because others wanted them to wear it (57% versus 46% and 38%).
Table 17
Driver Reasons For Safety Belt Use By Gender And Age
Qx: When I wear my seat
belt, I do so because…
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least on
occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Gender |
Age |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female |
Male |
16-20 |
21-64 |
65+ |
|
(N=2836) |
(N=2603) |
(N=415) |
(N=4318) |
(N=634) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 95% |
94% |
95% |
94% |
96% |
| It’s a habit | 87% |
83% |
84% |
85% |
85% |
| It’s the law | 86% |
77% |
84% |
81% |
83% |
| Want to set good example | 79% |
69% |
71% |
75% |
71% |
| Don’t want ticket | 73% |
69% |
80% |
71% |
66% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 64% |
56% |
56% |
60% |
61% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | 49% |
48% |
52% |
48% |
48% |
| Others want me to wear it | 46% |
46% |
57% |
46% |
38% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | 47% |
41% |
46% |
43% |
51% |
Blacks (79%) and Hispanics (80%) more frequently cited the threat of being
ticketed as a reason for safety belt use than did Whites (70%) and non-Hispanics
(70%). They also were more likely to refer to the law. Blacks were less likely
than the other groups to wear safety belts out of habit, while Hispanics
were more likely than the others to wear them because they wanted to set
a good example for others.
Table 18
Driver Reasons For Safety Belt Use By Race And Ethnicity
Qx: When I wear my
seat belt, I do so because…
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least on
occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Race |
Ethnicity |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black |
White |
Hispanic |
Non-Hispanic |
|
(N=434) |
(N=4193) |
(N=549) |
(N=4861) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 94% |
95% |
97% |
94% |
| It’s a habit | 80% |
86% |
83% |
85% |
| It’s the law | 87% |
80% |
88% |
81% |
| Want to set good example | 72% |
74% |
79% |
74% |
| Don’t want ticket | 79% |
70% |
80% |
70% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 55% |
61% |
60% |
60% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | 48% |
48% |
49% |
48% |
| Others want me to wear it | 37% |
48% |
40% |
47% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | 50% |
44% |
43% |
45% |
Persons who had not attended college were more likely than those who had
attended to attribute their belt use to the law and their not wanting to
be ticketed. High school graduates were also slightly more likely to attribute
belt use to wanting to set a good example or because of the people they were
with. Conversely, aspects of regular use such as habit and being uncomfortable
when not wearing the safety belt were slightly more common reasons among
college graduates.
Table 19
Driver Reasons For Safety Belt Use By Education
Qx: When I wear my seat belt,
I do so because…
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least on
occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Education |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade 11 or
less |
High school
grad |
Some college |
College grad |
|
(N=571) |
(N=1532) |
(N=1354) |
(N=1956) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 94% |
93% |
94% |
97% |
| It’s a habit | 81% |
83% |
84% |
88% |
| It’s the law | 86% |
86% |
82% |
76% |
| Want to set good example | 74% |
78% |
74% |
71% |
| Don’t want ticket | 78% |
76% |
73% |
63% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 57% |
57% |
58% |
65% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | 50% |
52% |
47% |
45% |
| Others want me to wear it | 46% |
48% |
45% |
44% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | 44% |
47% |
43% |
44% |
Drivers of SUVs and vans or minivans were more likely than drivers of other
vehicles to include wanting to set a good example as a reason for belt
use. Pickup truck drivers were less prone than the others to refer to habit
or feeling uncomfortable without the belt as reasons for use or because
it’s
the law.
Table 20
Driver Reasons For Safety Belt Use By Type Of Primary Vehicle
Qx: When I wear
my seat belt, I do so because…
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least on
occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Primary
vehicle |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Car |
Van/Minivan |
Pickup truck |
SUV |
|
(N=3242) |
(N=552) |
(N=818) |
(N=735) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 95% |
95% |
91% |
96% |
| It’s a habit | 86% |
84% |
80% |
88% |
| It’s the law | 82% |
84% |
77% |
83% |
| Want to set good example | 73% |
79% |
70% |
80% |
| Don’t want ticket | 71% |
69% |
73% |
72% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 61% |
64% |
54% |
63% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | 47% |
52% |
48% |
54% |
| Others want me to wear it | 44% |
48% |
49% |
52% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | 47% |
39% |
39% |
46% |
Most Important Reason For Safety Belt Use
Although a majority of drivers who wore safety belts identified multiple
reasons for usage, they tended to give greatest weight to safety considerations.
Roughly two-thirds of drivers (66%) said that avoiding serious injury was
the most important reason why they wore their safety belt. No other single
factor garnered more than 7% of the driver population when drivers were asked
which reason was most important.
![figure 25 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig25.gif)
The primary reason drivers gave for wearing their safety belt differed according to the reported level of belt usage. Two-thirds (67%) of drivers who “always” or “most of the time” used their belts said that avoiding injury was their most important reason, compared to less than half of drivers who only “rarely” or “sometimes” wore their belts (42%). Just under one-third of the infrequent users (30%) indicated that not wanting a ticket, wanting to set a good example for others, or pressure from others was their primary reason for use, compared to 9% of those who said they usually wore their safety belt.
![figure 26 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig26.gif)
The survey found little difference between males and females in what they considered their most important reason for wearing safety belts. The youngest drivers were more likely than older drivers to say the most important reason they wear safety belts is to avoid serious injury (71% versus 66% and 62%).
Table 21
Most Important Reason For Driver Safety Belt Use By Gender And Age
Qx: Of
the following reasons you just gave me for wearing your seat belt, which
is the most important?
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least
on occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Gender |
Age |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female |
Male |
16-20 |
21-64 |
65+ |
|
(N=2836) |
(N=2603) |
(N=415) |
(N=4318) |
(N=634) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 67% |
64% |
71% |
66% |
62% |
| It’s a habit | 6% |
7% |
7% |
6% |
6% |
| It’s the law | 7% |
8% |
5% |
7% |
11% |
| Want to set good example | 5% |
5% |
2% |
6% |
3% |
| Don’t want ticket | 3% |
5% |
6% |
4% |
3% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 4% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
3% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | * |
* |
* |
* |
* |
| Others want me to wear it | 1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | * |
* |
* |
* |
* |
| Other | 4% |
4% |
2% |
4% |
5% |
| Can’t say one is most important/All are important | 2% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
5% |
| *Less than 0.5% | |||||
There was little difference between Blacks and Whites in their major reason
for safety belt use. Hispanics (61%) were less likely to consider injury
avoidance their primary reason for safety belt use compared to non-Hispanics
(67%).
Table 22
Most Important Reason For Driver Safety Belt Use By Race And Ethnicity
Qx:
Of the following reasons you just gave me for wearing your seat belt,
which is the most important?
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least
on occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Race |
Ethnicity |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black |
White |
Hispanic |
Non-Hispanic |
|
(N=434) |
(N=4193) |
(N=549) |
(N=4861) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 65% |
67% |
61% |
67% |
| It’s a habit | 6% |
6% |
7% |
6% |
| It’s the law | 9% |
6% |
12% |
7% |
| Want to set good example | 4% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
| Don’t want ticket | 4% |
4% |
3% |
4% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 5% |
3% |
2% |
3% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | -- |
* |
1% |
* |
| Others want me to wear it | 1% |
1% |
* |
1% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | * |
* |
-- |
* |
| Other | 4% |
4% |
4% |
4% |
| Can’t say one is most important/All are important | 1% |
2% |
5% |
2% |
| *Less then 0.5% - No cases. | ||||
The more years of formal education that persons had, the more likely they
were to attribute their safety belt use primarily to injury avoidance.
At the same time, they were less likely than persons with fewer years of
schooling to cite the law as their main reason for safety belt usage.
Table 23
Most Important Reason For Driver Safety Belt Use By Education
Qx: Of the following
reasons you just gave me for wearing your seat belt, which is the most
important?
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least
on occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Education |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade 11 or
less |
High school
grad |
Some college |
College grad |
|
(N=571) |
(N=1532) |
(N=1354) |
(N=1956) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 61% |
61% |
64% |
73% |
| It’s a habit | 6% |
6% |
6% |
8% |
| It’s the law | 12% |
10% |
7% |
4% |
| Want to set good example | 4% |
6% |
6% |
3% |
| Don’t want ticket | 5% |
5% |
4% |
2% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 4% |
2% |
4% |
3% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | * |
* |
* |
* |
| Others want me to wear it | 1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | 1% |
* |
* |
* |
| Other | 3% |
5% |
4% |
3% |
| Can’t say one is most important/All are important | 3% |
3% |
2% |
2% |
| *Less than 0.5% | ||||
Pickup truck drivers were slightly less likely than other drivers to attribute
their belt use primarily to safety concerns.
Table 24
Most Important Reason For Driver Safety Belt Use By Primary Vehicle Driven
Qx:
Of the following reasons you just gave me for wearing your seat belt,
which is the most important?
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least
on occasion wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Primary
vehicle |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Car |
Van/Minivan |
Pickup truck |
SUV |
|
(N=3242) |
(N=552) |
(N=818) |
(N=735) |
|
| Avoid serious injury | 67% |
66% |
62% |
66% |
| It’s a habit | 6% |
5% |
6% |
7% |
| It’s the law | 7% |
8% |
8% |
6% |
| Want to set good example | 4% |
8% |
5% |
6% |
| Don’t want ticket | 4% |
3% |
6% |
3% |
| Uncomfortable without it | 3% |
3% |
3% |
4% |
| People I’m with are wearing belts | * |
-- |
* |
* |
| Others want me to wear it | 1% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
| Vehicle has bell, buzzer or light that reminds me | * |
-- |
1% |
* |
| Other | 4% |
3% |
4% |
4% |
| Can’t say one is most important/All are important | 3% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
| *Less then 0.5% - No cases. | ||||
Reasons For Non-Use Of Safety Belts
Drivers who did not always wear their safety belt during the past year
were asked about their reasons for non-use, using methods identical to
those described on page 46 (i.e., getting respondents to react to specific
reasons, and then giving them the opportunity to add to the list). The
most frequent reasons given for non-use by drivers were that they were
only going a short distance (56%) or they forgot (55%). Two-in-five (40%)
said that they were in a rush, while one-third (32%) attributed non-use
at least in part to discomfort from the safety belt.
![figure 27 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig27.gif)
The vast majority of the non-use described on the previous page came from persons who indicated at least occasional use of safety belts. However, Figure 27 also included a small number of persons (185) who said that they rarely or never wore their safety belt while driving. Their reasons for non-use may differ from that of more frequent (i.e., part-time) users. Figure 28 suggests that is the case as it shows that discomfort (67%), resistance to being told what to do (43%), driving in light traffic (37%), and “Other” reasons (25%) were far more prevalent among those who rarely or never wore safety belts.
![figure 28 - click [d] for long description](../images/fig28.gif)
Differences between
males and females in reasons for non-use were small, with discomfort accounting
for the largest gap between the two groups (females 36%; males 29%). Males
were more likely than females to say non-use was a result of light traffic
(24% versus 19%), low probability of a crash (21% versus 16%) and they don’t
like being told what to do (20% versus 15%).
With respect to age, the youngest drivers were more likely than older drivers
to say they did not wear safety belts because they forgot (65%), were in
a rush (44%), the safety belt was uncomfortable (39%), or they were driving
in light traffic (26%). However, readers are cautioned that there are fewer
than 200 cases in both the age 16-20 and 65+ subgroups that did not wear
their safety belts.
Table 25
Driver Reasons For Non-Use Of Safety Belts By Gender And Age
Qx: Sometimes
I do not wear my seat belt because…
Base: Drivers whose primary vehicle has safety belts and who at least on
occasion do not wear their safety belt.
| Reason | Gender |
Age |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female |
Male |
16-20 |
21-64 |
65+ |
|
(N=725) |
(N=960) |
(N=175) |
(N=1351) |
(N=147) |
|
| I’m only driving a short distance | 54% |
56% |
56% |
55% |
56% |
| I forgot to put it on | 52% |
56% |
65% |
53% |
53% |
| I’m in a rush | 38% |
40% |
44% |
40% |
33% |
| The seat belt is uncomfortable | 36% |
29% |
39% |
31% |
31% |
| I’m driving in light traffic | 19% |
24% |
26% |
22% |
20% |
| The probability of being in a crash is too low | 16% |
21% |
17% |
19% |
18% |
| Don’t want my clothes wrinkled | 12% |
9% |
12% |
9% |
12% |
| People I am with are not wearing belts | 7% |
9% |
11% |
8% |
9% |
| Don’t like being told what to do | 15% |
20% |
22% |
18% |
14% |
| Other | 6% |
8% |
4% |
8% |
6% |