An investigation of state population characteristics that moderate the relationship of state seat belt law and use in the United States

• Published in: Accident analysis and prevention Vol. 71; pp. 129 - 136
• Main Authors: Ash, Ivan K., Edwards, Ann L., Porter, Bryan E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Automobile Driving - legislation & jurisprudence; Biological and medical sciences; Crime - statistics & numerical data; Demographics; Economics; Economics - statistics & numerical data; Educational Status; Female; Governments; Health; Health Behavior; Health Status; Humans; Law; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Moderation; Prevention and actions; Primary enforcement laws; Psychological, cultural, social, and demographic predictors; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Ranking; Regional differences; Rural roads; Seat belt use; Seat belts; Seat Belts - legislation & jurisprudence; Seat Belts - utilization; Sex Distribution; United States; United States; North America; America; USA; Seat belt use; Primary enforcement laws; Moderation; Psychological, cultural, social, and demographic predictors; Regional differences; Human; Legislation; Psychology; Use; Characteristic; Prediction; Safety belt; Regional; Characteristics; Primary; Legal aspect; Population; Cultural aspect; Predictive factor; Social aspect; Public health
• ISSN: 0001-4575; 1879-2057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2014.05.011

•Primary enforcement safety beat laws have been shown to increase seat belt use.•In US there is a range of seat belt use rates among primary enforcement states.•We investigated variables that moderate the relationship of law and seat belt use.•Four unique state level moderators were detected. Academic achievement, health ranking, government effectiveness, and rural roads. Primary enforcement laws have been shown to be effective methods for increasing seat belt use at the state level. This study investigates state differences in the effectiveness of primary enforcement laws by assessing whether a state's academic achievement, health ranking, economic prosperity, violent crime rates, government effectiveness, gender distribution, or proportion of rural roads moderate the relationship between those laws and seat belt compliance rates. Aggregate state-level academic achievement, health ranking, government effectiveness, and proportion of rural roads uniquely moderated the seat belt use differences between primary and secondary enforcement states. This evidence suggests that cultural, social, and demographic differences among regions may be important factors in explaining state-level differences in the effectiveness of primary enforcement of seat belt laws.