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Seat Belts
A Guide to Selected Government Information Available at WIU's Government Publications Library (Prepared by Angela Blann- 10/99; revised 8/06) Web version of this guide includes links to web resources.
Federal Government Information
Standard Enforcement Saves Lives: The Case For Strong Seat Belt Laws. Standard enforcement allows a police officer to stop a vehicle and issue a citation if the officer observes an unbelted driver or passenger. This manual offers successful examples and favorable arguments. 1999
State Traffic Safety Information: Current As Of January 1, 1998. Organized by state, this publication offers comparative data on traffic fatalities, including the cost of crashes, alcohol involvement, federal resources, key legislation, speed, safety belt and child safety seat usage. 1998
Legislative History of Recent Primary Safety Belt Laws. A look at support and opposition for legislation that would upgrade safety belt laws from secondary (where police need an additional reason to stop an unbelted driver) to primary (where police may stop an unbelted driver for that reason alone). 1999
Traffic Safety Facts, 2001. This compilation of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics offers a variety of information about crashes of all severities. Tables 21 and 22 show the numbers of drivers and occupants of passenger cars and light trucks involved in crashes by crash severity and restraint usage. The numbers of persons killed and injured are reported. 2001
Occupant Protection and Safe Driving Quarterly Planner. A kit of 35 pieces which includes activities and information designed to raise community awareness regarding child passenger safety and occupant protection, as part of Campaign Safe and Sober. 1998
Buckle Up America Seat Belt Initiative. Found on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website are documents relevant to the Presidential Initiative for Increasing Seat Belt Use Nationwide. The First Report to Congress outlines plan goals, background information, status reports on occupant protection, and future activities. 1998 (more recent online)
Motor vehicle occupant safety survey. Biennial survey on occupant protection issues, each volume covers a different aspect, i.e., "Seat Belt Report", "Child Safety Seat Report", etc. WIU has 1996-2000
Presidential Initiative for Increasing Seat Belt Use Nationwide: Recommendations from the Secretary of Transportation. A look at President Clinton's plan to increase seat belt usage. Its background, components, and implementation are concisely presented. 1997
Program Strategies for Increasing Safety Belt Usage in Rural Areas. This study seeks to identify effective means of increasing belt usage and the cultural and psychological elements which decrease it. Participants were male pickup drivers ages 16 to 26 from Kentucky and Texas. 1996
Safety belts and African Americans, 2003 report. This study emphasizes the need for expanded efforts to increase the use of safety belts within the African American community. 2003
Safety belt use in 2003: use rates in the States and Territories. This online study was done to determine useage rates of safety belts in the United States and its Territories. 2004
Safety belt use in 2003: demographic characteristics. This online report presents results on the demographics of safety belt use from the 2003 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), with particular emphasis on results that evaluate aspects of the 2003 Click It or Ticket campaign to raise safety belt use nationwide.. 2004
"Should pregnant women wear seat belts?". This web document answers many of an expectant mother's common questions about traffic safety. 2002
Traffic Safety Digest: A Compendium of Innovative State and Community Traffic Safety Projects. A summary of outstanding traffic safety campaigns, including seat belt initiatives, nationwide. 1999
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - National Alternative High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 1998. A reporting of health-risk behaviors among students attending alternative high schools nationwide. Tables provide a wide variety of information, including seat belt use. 1999
lllinois Government Information
"Click it or Ticket" program evaluation. Evaluation of the "Click it or Ticket" program in Illinois based on results of survey taken June 2002. 2002
Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics. Provides results of a statewide, random survey conducted in Illinois on a yearly basis. A bar graph depicts seat belt usage rates from 1985 to the present. 1996
Motorist awareness and opinion survey on safety belt issues during the "click it or ticket" campaign in Illinois. Results of survey taken June 2002.
Infants, Toddlers and Preschool Transportation. Outlines the transportation requirements for very young school children in Illinois. 1999
Car Seats for Growing Children: Guidelines for Counseling Parents On Which Type of Car Seat to Use. Tips on car seat purchases, appropriate use, and proper installation.1997
Legal Information
"Buckle Up Or Else." A look at state legislative efforts to strengthen seat belt laws and at the federal incentive grants being offered to those states successful in increasing seat belt use. 1999
State Rankings, 1999. This publication contains helpful, comparative data from all 50 states regarding seat belt usage in 1998. A national average is given and state data is alphabetical and by rank. 1999
Child Passenger Protection Act. Illinois law requiring the use of child restraint systems for children under the age of six years.
Illinois Vehicle Code. Illinois law mandating the use of seat belts.
"Motor Vehicle Restraints for Young and Old." This article studies the evolution of child safety restraints and the resulting legislation. Also examined is the growing awareness that children and the elderly need more effective restraint systems than are currently provided for in federal standards. 1997
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 208, 209, and 213. These federal regulations set minimum performance standards for occupant protection, seat belt assemblies, and child safety seats.
Liability Under State Law for Injuries Resulting from Defective Automobile Seat Belt, Shoulder Harness, or Restraint System. This annotation reviews case law involving defective seatbelts.
Failure to Use or Misuse of Automobile Child Safety Seat or Restraint System As Affecting Recovery for Personal Injury or Death. Gathered in this annotation are cases where claims of negligence were made with regard to child car seat usage.
"Child Restraint System Defects". This article on the safety of child car seats concludes that poor design and insufficient governmental testing contribute to crash-related child injuries.
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