February, 2000

Rural seat belt use survey done in Saskatchewan

It takes about five seconds to put on a seat belt, but it seems that some drivers in rural Saskatchewan are hesitant to take the time to buckle up.

SGI statistics show that in 1999, 36 people died in vehicle crashes on Saskatchewan's rural roads, and 22 of them, or 61 per cent, were not wearing their seat belts. Statistics show that seat belts can decrease the chances of sustaining a serious injury in a traffic accident by as much as 50 per cent.

"Over the past few years, we've suspected seat belt use was lower in rural areas of Saskatchewan, but we've never had the numbers to confirm these suspicions. Now we have numbers that tell us we could do more work in this area, and that's just what we intend to do," said Kwei Quaye, SGI’s Manager of Traffic Safety Program Evaluation.

Generally, Saskatchewan residents fare well in Transport Canada's annual seat belt usage survey. The most recent survey showed that 88 per cent of the province's light duty vehicle occupants wore their seat belts. These surveys are, however, mainly done in urban centres in the province. Over the past few years, Quaye says SGI noticed a serious problem with rural drivers refusing to buckle up and consequently being killed. He says that for the amount of traffic on rural roads as compared to urban roads, the problem is significantly worse in rural Saskatchewan.

This is why SGI commissioned a survey examining seat belt use in some rural communities of the province. The communities randomly chosen for the project were Assiniboia, Biggar, Canora, Carlyle, Esterhazy, Gravelbourg, Kindersley, Meadow Lake, Nipawin and Pierceland.

The survey showed that of the areas that participated, Assiniboia had the best record for buckling up, with 82 per cent of drivers and right-front seat passengers wearing their seat belts. Meadow Lake wasn't too far behind, with 81 per cent. Gravelbourg was at the bottom of the list at 68 per cent.

Quaye says the data will be distributed to law enforcement agencies around the province. SGI will use the data in targeting education and accident prevention initiatives, hopefully resulting in improved seat belt use in rural areas. The ultimate goal is to reduce the number and severity of injuries on all Saskatchewan roads.

The survey was conducted throughout the summer of 1999, and the fieldwork was done by local Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD) chapters and youth groups.

"There was no hesitation from the students when asked to volunteer for this project. It was nice to see how many were willing to volunteer their free time during the summer, and to hear that they felt they were contributing to the safety of their community," said Barbara Compton, advisor to the SADD chapter at Assiniboia Composite High School.

The students gathered the data at two intersections within each community. During the survey, students observed drivers and passengers on the right side of the front seat, and determined whether they were using seat belts.

"We're really grateful to the students for the time and effort they put into this project," said Quaye. "We hope that the results from this survey, along with our traffic accident statistics, will increase the effectiveness of our efforts to educate the public on the importance of buckling up."

Results from SGI rural seat belt use survey

Percentage of sample who were wearing their seat belt

For more information, contact:
Kwei Quaye
Manager, Traffic Safety Program Evaluation
SGI
Regina
Phone: (306) 775-6182

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