Intervention Strategies to Enhance Motorcoach Seatbelt Use

Seatbelt use among motorcoach passengers remains extremely low despite federal requirements for lap and shoulder belts on new vehicles. Prior research indicates that verbal safety announcements and visible promotional messaging can improve awareness and compliance, yet these practices have not been consistently adopted across the motorcoach industry. This project addresses the gap between known effective strategies and real-world implementation. The research will develop, test, and refine targeted training and promotional materials designed for motorcoach drivers, dispatchers, terminal managers, and regulatory agencies. Activities include the creation of instructional podcasts, educational brochures, and guidance documents outlining effective promotional practices and regulatory roles. The effectiveness of these interventions will be evaluated using surveys and implementation metrics. Results will support scalable best practices that can be adopted nationwide to improve motorcoach passenger safety.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.umass.edu/neutc/projects/intervention-strategies-enhance-motorcoach-seatbelt-use

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $50,000.00
• 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: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 20261231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Subprogram: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus drivers; Buses; Education and training; Seat belt use; Transit riders
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01974414
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: New England University Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348301
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 18 2025 2:46PM