Advancing the Motorcoach Seatbelt Promotional Campaign on Regularly Scheduled Routes and Charter Services in New England to Reduce Fatalities and Injury Severity

Despite federal mandates requiring seatbelt installation on new motorcoaches since 2016, passenger seatbelt usage remains critically low, with rates under 5% compared to 90% in automobiles. This study seeks to improve motorcoach safety by developing and testing a set of promotional actions, implemented onboard, at boarding platforms, and in terminals, to encourage seatbelt use. The project will measure the impact of these actions through pre- and post-intervention seatbelt usage counts across New England routes and explore opportunities for state and federal regulatory support. By disseminating an expanded promotional kit and engaging stakeholders, the research aims to establish industry-wide best practices for seatbelt promotion, supporting the intent of safety regulations and reducing fatalities and injuries in motorcoach travel.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $50000
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348301

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  130 Natural Resources Road
  Amherst, MA  United States  01003
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  130 Natural Resources Road
  Amherst, MA  United States  01003
• Principal Investigators:

  Plotnikov, Michael

• Start Date: 20240901
• Expected Completion Date: 20250831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Subprogram: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Buses; Promotion; Safety programs; Seat belt use; Seat belts
• Geographic Terms: New England
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01938991
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: New England University Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348301
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 9 2024 10:12AM