McCartt Anne T, Geary Lori L, Solomon Mark G
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
Traffic Inj Prev. 2005 Jun;6(2):120-6. doi: 10.1080/15389580590931581.
Teenagers have very high motor vehicle crash rates, and their use of seat belts is generally lower than that of adults. A potential school-based strategy to increase teenagers' belt use is a policy making parking privileges contingent on belt use by student drivers and their passengers. This study evaluated the effects of implementing a school belt policy.
The effects of a belt policy were evaluated during the 2003-2004 school year at high schools in two states: Connecticut, a state with a primary enforcement belt law and high belt use rates, and Mississippi, a state with a secondary enforcement law and generally low use rates. Both schools enforced the policy, and violations resulted in a graduated set of penalties leading to the potential loss of parking privileges. Baseline and post-policy belt use rates were obtained from observation surveys of student drivers and their teenage passengers coming to and from school. Changes in belt use were examined relative to belt use trends at comparison schools without a belt policy. Implementation of the policies also was monitored.
In Mississippi, among students arriving at school in the morning, driver belt use increased from 42% before the policy to 67% about 6 months after; passenger belt use increased from 16% to 61%, although sample sizes were small. These increases were significantly larger than expected, based on belt use trends at the comparison school in Mississippi. In Connecticut, where 86% of drivers and 79% of their passengers already were belted prior to the policy, there was no significant change. Both schools publicized and monitored the belt policy, and most enforcement occurred in the morning as students arrived at school.
Based on a small-scale application of a belt policy at two schools in different states, a school belt policy may have stronger effects in states where belt use is low. Strong penalties and enforcement are essential elements of an effective policy. Adequate resources and commitment are needed for schools to implement and monitor the type of strong policy needed to sustain high belt use rates. Replication of this study in additional schools appears warranted.
青少年的机动车撞车率非常高，而且他们使用安全带的情况普遍低于成年人。一项潜在的以学校为基础的提高青少年安全带使用率的策略是制定一项政策，使停车特权取决于学生驾驶员及其乘客是否使用安全带。本研究评估了实施学校安全带政策的效果。
在2003 - 2004学年对两个州的高中实施安全带政策的效果进行了评估：康涅狄格州，该州有主要执法安全带法且安全带使用率高；密西西比州，该州有二级执法法且总体使用率低。两所学校都执行了该政策，违规会导致一系列分级处罚，可能会失去停车特权。通过对上下学的学生驾驶员及其青少年乘客进行观察调查，获取了政策实施前和实施后的安全带使用率。相对于没有安全带政策的对照学校的安全带使用趋势，对安全带使用的变化进行了研究。同时对政策的实施情况进行了监测。
在密西西比州，早上到校的学生中，驾驶员安全带使用率从政策实施前的42%增加到约6个月后的67%；乘客安全带使用率从16%增加到61%，尽管样本量较小。基于密西西比州对照学校的安全带使用趋势，这些增加幅度显著大于预期。在康涅狄格州，在政策实施前已有86%的驾驶员和79%的乘客系安全带，没有显著变化。两所学校都宣传并监测了安全带政策，大多数执法发生在早上学生到校时。
基于在不同州的两所学校对安全带政策的小规模应用，学校安全带政策在安全带使用率低的州可能效果更强。严厉的处罚和执法是有效政策的关键要素。学校需要足够的资源和投入来实施和监测维持高安全带使用率所需的强有力政策。有必要在更多学校重复这项研究。
