Analysis of Passenger Vehicle Driver Restraint Use in Fatal Crashes.

摘要

This report examines factors associated with passenger vehicle driver restraint use status in fatal crashes. Given that seat belt use is an important countermeasure against injury or death in vehicle crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is interested in understanding factors associated with restraint use. This analysis models the relationship between passenger vehicle driver restraint use in fatal crashes and the following crash-related factors reported to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2001-2010: driver blood alcohol concentration (BAC), age group, previous DWI conviction, driver license status, estimated vehicle speed, number of vehicle occupants, driver sex, day of week, season, geographic region, time of day, and rural/urban status. The factors most strongly associated with unrestrained driving are: high BAC (greater than .15 g/dL), speeding, and the drivers license status. High-BAC drivers odds of being unbelted were four times greater than drivers who had no alcohol. Speeding drivers odds of unrestrained driving were twice those of restrained drivers. Drivers with invalid licenses had odds of unrestrained driving 1.6 times those of drivers with valid licenses.