Dwight D' Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program

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Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship
Program

• Seat Belt Education, Research, and Outreach Among
  Region IV Local Technology Assistance Programs

Recipient Derrick Jones University
Jackson State University Status
Undergraduate Junior Campus Manager
Curtina Moreland-Young, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor
Ivory L. Williams, M.U.R.P. Faculty Research
Advisor Johnny Gilleylen Sr., Ph.D. Discipline
Civil Engineering
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Study Purpose and Rationale

• Purpose
• To survey Region IV LTAP centers to determine
  their efforts in seatbelt usage education,
  research, and outreach/services
• Rationale
• Seat belt usage within Region IV (75.2 percent)
  is well below the national average of 79 percent.
  Also, Region IV number of 8,774 traffic
  fatalities is 27 percent of the 35,519 total U.S.
  fatalities and the highest among the regional
  LTAP centers.

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LTAP Region IV 2003 Safety Belt Usage and
Seatbelt Law Status
National Avg. 79 Region IV 75.2
Source Glassbrenner, Donna. Safety Belt Use in
2004 Overall Results, National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, DOT HS 809 783, September,
2004.
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Statewide Observed Belt Use 1995-2002 for Primary
Versus Non-Primary Law States
Source Neil K. Chaudhary and David F. Preusser
in Lives Lost by States Failure to Implement
Primary Safety Belt Laws, The National Safety
Councils Air Bag Seat Belt Safety Campaign,
November 2003.
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Total 2002 U.S. Traffic FatalitiesRestrained
versus Unrestrained Passengers
N 35,519
Source F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic
Administration, 2002
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Benefits of Seat Belt Use

• Reduced risk of fatal injury
• 45 reduction for drivers and front seat wearers
  in passenger vehicles
• 60 reduction risk for front seat wearers in
  light trucks
• Reduced Moderate to Critical Injuries
• 50 reduction for passenger vehicle occupants
• 65 reduction for light truck occupants
• Cost Effective
• Marginal cost is zero

Source Buckling Up Technologies to Increase
Seat Belt Use, Special Report 278,
Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.,
2003
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PARETO U.S. 2002 Traffic Fatalities By State and
Type of Seat Belt Law
With Primary Seat Belt Law
With Secondary Seat Belt Law
With No Seat Belt Law
Source F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic
Administration, 2002
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PARETO LTAP Region IV 2002 Traffic FatalitiesBy
State and Type of Seat Belt Law
With Primary Seat Belt Law
With Secondary Seat Belt Law
Source F.A.R.S. National Highway Traffic
Administration, 2002
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Reasons of Nonuse

• Part Timer Users (20 of drivers)
• Situational/Habitual Factors
• Buckles up for poor weather or long trips
• Do not buckle up for short trips
• Forgetting
• In a hurry
• Hard Core Nonusers (4 of drivers)
• High crash risk
• More traffic violations
• Higher crash involvement rates
• Higher arrests rates
• Higher alcohol consumption rates
• Negative Attitudinal Factors
• Unfounded claims that belts are dangerous
• Infringement on personal freedom
• Resentment for authority
• Just dont feel like wearing them

Source A.W. Block, 2001 in Buckling Up
Technologies to Increase Seat Belt Use, Special
Report 278, Transportation Research Board,
Washington, D.C., 2003
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Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP)

• The LTAP Mission
• LTAPs mission is to foster a safe, efficient,
  environmentally sound transportation systems by
  improving the skill knowledge of local
  transportation providers through training,
  technical assistance and technology.
• LTAP Structure
• LTAP is composed of a national network of centers
• one in every state, Puerto Rico and regional
  centers serving tribal governments
• Core Activities
• Provides a variety of training programs
• Serves as an information clearinghouse
• Provides new and existing technology updates
• Provides personalized technical assistance
• Publishes newsletters
• Along with the core activities, LTAP provide
  access to training and information that may not
  be otherwise accessible.

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LTAP Centers Annual Performance Statistics

• Over 12,500 local communities served
• More than 115,000 people trained at over 4,000
  training sessions
• More than 131,000 newsletters sent to contacts
• More than 250,000 materials distributed to local
  agencies

Source LTAP/TTAP Program website sponsored by
the Federal Highway Administration and managed by
the LTAP Clearinghouse, American Public Works
Association, updated August 10, 2004.
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Research Questions?

• What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in
  terms of seatbelt usage education?
• What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in
  terms of seatbelt usage research?
• What do Region IV LTAP centers currently offer in
  terms of seatbelt usage outreach/services?
• If the Region IV LTAP centers do not currently
  offer any seat belt usage education, research, or
  outreach services, do they plan to offer them in
  the future?
• What are the impediments to Region IV LTAP
  centers offering education, research and outreach
  services?

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Research Methodology

• Exploratory Research
• What is out there?
• Cross-Sectional Design
• Slice in time
• Where are we now?
• Data Collection Methodology
• Purposive Sampling
• LTAP Region IVAL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN
• Lead the nation in traffic fatalities
• Only three of eight-state region with primary
  seat belt law
• Survey Instrument as primary instrument
• Telephone interviews as follow-up methodology
• Study Validity Concerns
• Instrument to be reviewed by two panels of
  transportation safety experts
• Mississippi Department of Transportation
• Federal Highway Administration
• Study Ethical Concerns
• Jackson State University IRB approval required

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Research Methodology contd

• Data Analysis
• Univariate Analysis
• Measures of Central Tendency
• Measures of Dispersion
• Statistical Significance Tests
• T-test
• Chi Square
• Study Results
• Projected Study Completion March 2005
• Study Results might be used by LTAP Centers to
  appropriately consider the inclusion of seat belt
  training programs within its current offerings to
  local communities and to further identify agency
  needs to construct an effective program
• Also study results will assist the facilitation
  of The National Safety Councils Special Traffic
  Enforcement Program public education outreach
  programs
• Study results will be published utilizing text,
  tables and graphics