The Effects of Standard Safety Belt Enforcement on Police Harassment: Year 2 Annual Report

Eby, D.W., Kostyniuk, L.P., Molnar, L.J., Joksch, H., Vivoda, J.M., Miller, L.L. 2002. The Effects of Standard Safety Belt Enforcement on Police Harassment: Year 2 Annual Report.
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This report presents first-year results of a multi-year project designed to assess the effects of standard safety belt enforcement on police safety-belt-related harassment. Six sets of questions aimed at gaining a better understanding of the effects of standard enforcement were investigated. Results of the study include: 1) the introduction of standard enforcement did not change the number of safety-bell-related harassment complaints from citizens; 2) the number of safety belt citations increased by about 9 percent after standard enforcement, while child restraint citations decreased slightly; 3) the citation conviction-rate increased after standard enforcement; 4) statewide over-representation of safety belt citations was clearly present for males and those under 30 years of age, but did not change after standard enforcement; 5) statewide citation over-representation by race was found prior to standard enforcement but not after; 6) little difference in the statewide citation over-representation patterns was found when only citations that resulted in convictions were considered; and 7) perceptions of harassment were not common arriong the population of people receiving safety belt citations, but BlacklAfrican Americans in this population were more likely to report safety-belt-related harassment by race even though close to one-half received citations from BlackIAfrican American officers. The general conclusion from the study is that the implementation of standard enforcement was not followed by police safety-belt-related harassment. As further data is collected over the next two years, more solid conclusions will be drawn.