ANN ARBOR— Despite the lack of a Michigan state law that permits police to stop motorists simply for failing to wear a safety belt, much still can be done to encourage increased belt use, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

” Even without this new legislation, stricter enforcement of the current law, coupled with major publicity campaigns, can be effective in increasing belt use,” says researcher David W. Eby. ” Issuing safety belt citations regularly to motorists being cited for another violation can be particularly effective since traffic law offenders are less likely than non-offenders to use safety belts.”

In their annual study of nearly 9,900 drivers and front- seat passengers in Michigan’s 28 most populous counties, Eby and colleagues Fredrick M. Streff and Carl Christoff found that about two-thirds of those in passenger cars (66.8 percent), vans (69.1 percent) and sport-utility vehicles (70.7 percent) wear safety belts” all-time highs for all three vehicle types. However, the safety belt rate for pickup truck occupants is less than 50 percent, which the researchers say may be due to the fact that most drivers of pickup trucks are men.

” In general, men are less concerned about traffic safety than are women,” Eby says. ” This also is evident in drunk driving, which is largely a ‘male’ problem. Altogether, this suggests that men are willing to take more risks than women, at least behind the wheel.” Indeed, the researchers found once again that more women than men buckled up in all four vehicle types, with about 71 percent of females wearing safety belts in passenger cars, compared with 62.5 percent of males.

According to the study, children, 3 and under, are the most likely of all age groups to be restrained (about 83 percent in passenger cars) in all vehicle types, while those ages 16-29 are the least likely to wear safety belts in vans, sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, and children 4-15 are the least likely to be buckled up in passenger cars.

” One would expect that individuals in the 4-15 age group would be belted at nearly the same rate as the youngest age group since parents and other adults have primary responsibility for ensuring that those in this age group are belted,” Eby says. Many younger children in this age group, he adds, may not wear safety belts because they are playing a game or moving around in the vehicle and/or their parents or other adults may think they are too small for safety belts to provide proper protection.

” For all vehicle types, belt use rates show a decline for the 4-15 age group, compared to the 0-3 age group,” Eby says. ” These results show that efforts should be directed toward preventing the decline of belt use that occurs between those ages.” The study also found that use of safety belts is greatest during the morning rush hours with nearly three- fourths of drivers and front-seat occupants in passenger cars restrained. Also, Sunday drivers and passengers are more likely to buckle up, compared with those on other days of the week.

Overall, the researchers say that until a primary enforcement safety belt law is passed in Michigan, statewide public information and education programs should focus on those groups” children, young adults, men, pickup drivers” least likely to buckle up.

” By targeting programs designed to increase safety belt use at those populations most likely to benefit, one can maximize belt use increases while spending the least amount of money,” Eby says. ” Knowing the belt use for categories such as where a person lives, presence or absence of vehicle safety features, and driving record could prove invaluable for targeting low belt-use groups.” Data for the study was collected last fall by observers stationed at 168 intersections and freeway exit ramps throughout the state.

University of Michigan