The effects of enforcement and rewards on safety-belt use : a field study in The Netherlands.

When drivers are grouped by age and sex, it turns out that young male drivers aged between 18 and 25 use their safety belt less often than other driver groups in the Netherlands. Average usage rate for this group of drivers was 55-60% in 1987, and about 65% in 1988. For this reason, it was decided to conduct a nationwide campaign to promote safety belt use by military personnel during October and November 1988. The campaign was aimed at young male drivers aged between 18 and 25; this group can easily be reached in a military setting, because drafted (male) personnnel is around this age. The campaign was organized by the Dutch Ministry of Defense in co-operation with the Dutch Ministry of Transport. To evaluate the effects of this campaign, a field study was conducted in which the level of surveillance and enforcement, the quality and kind of publicity and the type of reward programme was varied. It can be concluded that an one-off safety belt campaign consisting of combined surveillance, enforcement and publicity has a positive effect, provided that surveillance, enforcement and publicity are actually carried out. The same is valid for reward campaigns (See also IRRD 834877). Further research is needed to assess the relative impact of incentive programmes and enforcement; (medium) long term effects should further be investigated as well.