Public Opinion Toward All-Passenger Seat Belt Law in Iowa

Seat belts are 60% effective at reducing fatalities for rear seat occupants (Zhu et al., 2007). Belted occupants have about twice the risk of injury and five times the risk of death when seated between an unbelted occupant and the direction of force in a crash (MacLennan et al., 2004). Iowa has required front seat occupants to use seat belts since 1986 and has observed belt use rates greater than 90% since 2006 (Chen, 2014). However, the current law does not require adults in rear seating positions to use seat belts. A statewide telephone survey was conducted to assess Iowans’ personal seat belt use and their opinions about an all-passenger seat belt law. In all, 85% of the 1,077 adult Iowans surveyed said they always use a seat belt in the front seat. However, only 36% always buckle up in the back seat. A majority of the respondents (62%) support strengthening Iowa’s seat belt law. The findings were robust across demographic variables of age, gender, and county population level. Four out of five respondents said they would use seat belts more often when sitting in the rear seat if it was the law. In conclusion, there is broad public support for an all-passenger seat belt law in Iowa, and if implemented, the law would likely change behavior, reduce injuries, and save lives.