United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-01-03 monographic deposited born digital 53 p. GA 1.13:RCED-96-24 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24 P0b002ee18038fd2f f:rc96024 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24 RCED-96-24 Motor vehicle safety Transportation statistics Highway safety Fines (penalties) State-administered programs Law enforcement National policies Public relations Traffic violations Federal/state relations California Hawaii North Carolina Washington Maryland New Hampshire Louisiana Idaho Colorado Mississippi New York New Jersey South Carolina Canada Newfoundland (Canada) NHTSA Fatal Accident Reporting System NHTSA General Estimates System NHTSA National Occupant Protection Use Survey NHTSA Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System North Carolina Click It or Ticket Program New Jersey 101 Days of Summer Program Drive Smart Colorado Program Chapter Report RCED In late 1994, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did a special nationwide survey on the use of safety belts. This survey found the rate of safety belt use to be 58 percent. NHTSA's survey suggests that although the use of safety belts has increased substantially from the 11 percent reported in 1982, considerable progress is still needed if the Department of Transportation is to meet its current goal of 75-percent use of safety belts by 1997. The four states--California, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Washington--that have achieved rates of more than 80-percent use of safety belts have comprehensive programs, including strong laws mandating use of safety belts, visible and aggressive enforcement of these laws, and vigorous programs to educate the public. An effective federal strategy to boost the use of safety belts would be to encourage the states to establish comprehensive programs that include all the elements that increase safety belt use--primary enforcement laws with aggressive enforcement, requirements that all occupants of vehicles that have belts installed use them, fines that discourage noncompliance, and public education. Current law does not require the occupants of cars' back seats or any occupant of a light truck or a van to use safety belts. Neither does the law specify primary and secondary enforcement. Given the increased number of light trucks being sold and the low rate of seat belt use in these vehicles, measures are needed to boost the rate of seat belt use by the occupants of light trucks. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24.pdf GAO/RCED-96-24 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-24 Chapter Report GAO/RCED-96-24; Motor Vehicle Safety: Comprehensive State Programs Offer Best Opportunity for Increasing Use of Safety Belts; Motor vehicle safety Transportation statistics Highway safety Fines (penalties) State-administered programs Law enforcement National policies Public relations Traffic violations Federal/state relations California Hawaii North Carolina Washington Maryland New Hampshire Louisiana Idaho Colorado Mississippi New York New Jersey South Carolina Canada Newfoundland (Canada) NHTSA Fatal Accident Reporting System NHTSA General Estimates System NHTSA National Occupant Protection Use Survey NHTSA Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System North Carolina Click It or Ticket Program New Jersey 101 Days of Summer Program Drive Smart Colorado Program Public Law 102-240