Tribal populations experience a greater risk for traffic injuries than other populations. The Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation recently enacted a primary seat belt law to improve public safety on its roads. A comparison of field observation study results from early in the intervention and from a later observation study revealed that gains in seat belt use may have eroded in towns. On highways, however, the intervention appears to have produced sustained gains in seat belt use by male drivers of cars and sport utility vehicles. Previous studies showed that the longer-term success of the primary law intervention requires ongoing reinforcement with respect to education and enforcement activities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting (WISQARS). www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal_injury_reports.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2016.
2.
2006 Seat Belt Use Estimate for Native American Tribal Reservations. DOT HS 810 967. National Center for Highway Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2008.
3.
GarciaA.N.PatelK.V., and GuralnikJ.M.. Seat Belt Use Among American Indians/Alaska Natives and Non-Hispanic Whites.American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2007, pp. 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.04.032.
4.
LapidusJ.A.SmithN.H., LutzT., and EbelB.E.. Trends and Correlates of Child Passenger Restraint Use in 6 Northwest Tribes: The Native Children Always Ride Safe (Native CARS) Project.American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 103, No. 2, 2013, pp. 355–361. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300834.
5.
WestB.A., and NaumannR.B.. Tribal Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention Programs for Reducing Disparities in Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries.Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 63, No. 1, 2014, pp. 28–33.
6.
PiontkowskiS.R.PeabodyJ.S., ReedeC., VelascosolteroJ., TsatokeG.Jr., ShelhamerT., and HicksK.R.. Reducing Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries at an Arizona Indian Reservation: Ten Years of Application of Evidence-Based Strategies.Global Health, Science, and Practice, Vol. 3, No. 4, 2015, pp. 619–629. https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00249.
7.
RobertsonL.Estimates of Motor Vehicle Seat Belt Effectiveness and Use: Implications for Occupant Crash Protection.American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 66, No. 9, 1976, pp. 859–864. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.66.9.859.
8.
EvansL.The Effectiveness of Safety Belts in Preventing Fatalities.Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1986, pp. 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-4575(86)90007-2.
9.
KabaneC.J.Fatality Reduction with Safety Belts for Front Seat Occupants of Car and Light Trucks—Updated and Expanded Estimates, Based on 1986-99 FARS Data. NHTSA Report 809 199. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2000.
10.
WilliamsR., FabianT., FischerP., ZarzaurB., MagnottiL., and CroceM.. Impact of Airbags on a Level I Trauma Center: Injury, Patterns, Infectious Morbidity, and Hospital Costs.Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Vol. 206, No. 5, 2008, pp. 962–968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2007.12.016.
11.
Countermeasures that Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Offices (8th ed.). DOT HS 812 202. National Center for Highway Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2015.
12.
Dinh-ZarrT.B.SleetD.A., ShultsR. A., ZazaS.ElderR.W., NicholsJ. L.ThompsonR.S., and SosinD.M.. Reviews of Evidence Regarding Interventions to Increase the Use of Safety Belts.American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 4, 4S, 2001, pp. 48–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(01)00378-6.
13.
TisonJ., and WilliamsA.. Analyzing the First Years of the Click It or Ticket Mobilizations. NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2010.
14.
ShultsR.A.NicholsJ.L., Dinh-ZarrT.B.SleetD.A., and ElderR.W.. Effectiveness of Primary Enforcement Safety Belt Laws and Enhanced Enforcement of Safety Belt Laws: A Summary of the Guide to Community Preventive Services Systematic Reviews.Journal of Safety Research, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2004, pp. 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2004.03.002.
15.
NicholsJ.L., and LedinghamK.A.. NCHRP Report 601: The Impact of Legislation, Enforcement, and Sanctions on Safety Belt Use. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008.
WebbG.R., BowmanA., and Sanson-FisherR.W.Studies of Child Safety Restraint Use in Motor Vehicles—Some Methodological Considerations.Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 20, No. 2, 1988, pp. 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-4575(88)90026-7.
18.
BrixeyS.N.GuseC.E., and GorelickM.. Reliability and Validity of Child Passenger Safety Restraint Observations by Community Observers.Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol. 11, No. 6, 2010, pp. 573–577. https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2010.508083.
19.
SnowdonA., RothmanL., SlaterM., KolgaC., HusseinA., BoaseP., and HowardA.. Methodology of Estimating Restraint Use in Children: Roadside Observation or Parking Lot Interview Survey.Accident Analysis and Prevention, Vol. 42, No. 6, 2010, pp. 1545–1548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2010.02.020.
20.
2014 North Dakota Crash Summary. Traffic Safety Division, North Dakota Department of Transportation, Bismarck, 2015.
