Occupant Protection

Seat Belts Save Lives. NHTSA provides national leadership in planning and developing traffic injury control safety programs in the areas of seat belts, child car seat use, and automatic occupant protection systems (e.g., air bags).

Useful Information

Summary of Vehicle Occupant Protection State Laws (9th Edition) - Such laws include requiring the use of (1) safety belts, (2) child passenger restraint devices, and (3) motorcycle or bicycle helmets.
The top 5 things you should know about Buckling Up
The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Buckling Up
Occupant Protection Facts - Three booklets presenting general information on the need for and importance of promoting occupant restraint use for children, youth, and young adults.
What You Need to Know About Air Bags - Air bags are called supplemental restraints because they are designed to work best in combination with seat belts.
Issues Among Older Drivers and Passengers - This background research was followed by a series of 15 focus groups with older adults in four States. Participants discussed experiences and difficulties associated with seat belt use.
Using Haptic Feedback to Increase Seat Belt Use of Service Vehicle Drivers - This study tested a contingency in which unbelted drivers experienced sustained sense of touch (haptic) feedback to the gas pedal when exceeding 25mph.