Results of Transport Canada's Rural and Urban Surveys of Seat Belt Use in Canada 2009-2010

In September 2009 Transport Canada conducted a survey of seat belt use in rural areas of Canada. The same survey was conducted for urban areas in September 2010. Among the highlights of the surveys are the following: (1) In Canada, 95.3% (± 0.1%) of occupants of light-duty vehicles buckle up. In urban communities, an estimated 95.8% (± 0.1%) of all occupants and an estimated 92.0% (± 0.3%) of all occupants of light-duty vehicles in rural communities use seat belts. The national seat belt use rate measured in the 2009-2010 surveys is 2.8 percentage points higher than that measured in the 2006-2007 surveys. The national seat belt use rate for drivers only is 95.7%. (2) The rate of seat belt use in Canada is much lower among occupants of pickup trucks (92.0%) than among occupants of passenger cars (94.8%) and minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) (95.4%). Specifically looking at drivers, the rates were 95.2% for passenger cars, 95.6% for minivans and SUVs, and 92.7% for pickup trucks. Similar trends were evident in both the rural and urban communities of the country. (3) A higher percentage of female drivers (96.0%) than male drivers (94.3%) wore seat belts. The higher rate of seat belt use by females is consistent across all three vehicle types and is generally consistent across all provinces and territories. (4) The proportion of drivers wearing seat belts tends to increase with the driver’s age group, but this finding is not consistent across all jurisdictions. In Canada as a whole, the proportion ranges from 93.0% of those under 25, to 94.8% of those 25 to 49 and 96.0% of those 50 and older. (5) The rate of seat belt use in Canada is lower among back seat occupants (89.2%) than among front seat occupants (95.5%). The higher rate of seat belt use by front seat occupants is generally consistent across all jurisdictions with a few exceptions.

• Record URL:
  http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/roadsafety/tp2436e-rs201101.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Transport Canada

  Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate, 330 Sparks Street
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada  K1A 0N5
• Publication Date: 2011-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Fact Sheet
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 20p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Automobiles; Front seat occupants; Gender; Light vehicles; Pickup trucks; Rear seat occupants; Rural areas; Seat belt use; Seat belts; Sport utility vehicles; Trend (Statistics); Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Minivans
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01373100
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TP 2436E
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 19 2012 8:02AM