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Characteristics of Unrestrained Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities

In 2006, 42,642 people died on the Nation’s highways. Of these fatalities 30,521 (72%) were passenger vehicles occu-pants of all ages, and 28,911 (68%) were occupants 16 and older. This Research Note looked at those 2006 fatalities 16 and older to identify characteristics of those who were unre-strained.

Specifically:

Fifty-five percent of fatalities 16 and older were unre-strained, a reduction of 4 percentage points (from 59%) from 2002.

The number and percentage of unrestrained fatalities was much higher during nighttime. Sixty-four percent of fatalities at night were unrestrained, compared to 46 percent during the day.

The nighttime period with the highest percentage of unre-strained fatalities was midnight to 3 a.m. (71%).

Younger driver and passenger fatalities were unrestrained at high rates, especially at night. Almost 70 percent of occupant fatalities in the 16 to 20 (68%), 21 to 24 (68%), and 25 to 34 (69%) age cohorts were unrestrained during nighttime.

Males had higher percentages of unrestrained fatalities than females. About 70 percent of male nighttime fatalities were unrestrained.

Pickup truck occupants had the highest percentages of unrestrained fatalities. More than three-fourths of the pickup truck occupants fatally injured during nighttime were unrestrained.

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