@article{ref1,
title="The effect of a gearshift interlock on seat belt use by drivers who do not always use a belt and its acceptance among those who do",
journal="Journal of safety research",
year="2018",
author="Kidd, David G. and Singer, Jeremiah and Huey, Richard and Kerfoot, Laura",
volume="65",
number="",
pages="39-51",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash, yet in 2015, nearly 10,000 people killed in passenger vehicles were unrestrained. Enhanced seat belt reminders increase belt use, but a gearshift interlock that prevents the vehicle from being placed into gear unless the seat belt is used may prove more effective. <br><br>METHOD: Thirty-two people with a recent seat belt citation and who admitted to not always using a seat belt as a driver were recruited as part-time belt users and asked to evaluate two new vehicles. Sixteen drove two vehicles with an enhanced reminder for one week each, and 16 drove a vehicle with an enhanced reminder for one week and a vehicle with a gearshift interlock the following week. Sixteen full-time belt users who reported always using a seat belt drove a vehicle with a gearshift interlock for one week to evaluate acceptance. <br><br>RESULTS: Relative to the enhanced reminder, the gearshift interlock significantly increased the likelihood that a part-time belt user used a belt during travel time in a trip by 21%, and increased the rate of belt use by 16%; this effect approached significance. Although every full-time belt user experienced the gearshift interlock, their acceptance of the technology reported in a post-study survey was fairly positive and not significantly different from part-time belt users. Six part-time belt users circumvented the gearshift interlock by sitting on a seat belt, waiting for the system to deactivate, or unbuckling during travel. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The gearshift interlock increased the likelihood that part-time belt users buckled up and the rate of belt use during travel relative to the enhanced reminder but could be more effective if it prevented circumvention. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: An estimated 718-942 lives could be saved annually if the belt use of unbuckled drivers and front passengers increased 16-21%.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-4375",
doi="10.1016/j.jsr.2018.03.005",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2018.03.005"
}