TY - JOUR PY - 1993// TI - Observed and self-reported seat belt wearing as related to prior traffic accidents and convictions JO - Accident analysis and prevention A1 - Hunter, W. W. A1 - Stewart, J. Richard A1 - Stutts, J. C. A1 - Rodgman, E. A. SP - 545 EP - 554 VL - 25 IS - 5 N2 - During the summer of 1987, 10,000 color-coded mailback questionnaires that identified belted and unbelted North Carolina drivers were handed out at the 72 sites that constitute the probability sample for determining the statewide belt use rate in North Carolina. By obtaining identifying information to determine the winner of a $500 prize from among the 5,074 respondents, police-reported traffic accident and conviction records from the North Carolina driver history file were linked to the belted and unbelted respondents. Analyses found that drivers who had been observed not wearing seat belts had 35% more accidents and 69% more convictions than did belted drivers in the previous four-year period. Similar findings were obtained from self-reported belt use. LA - en SN - 0001-4575 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -