UTC 2022 Funding - Cycle 2 Research Projects

Project Number: CY2-UARK-01
Project Title: Connected Vehicle Data for Statewide Seat Belt Use Estimation: Proof of Concept
Performing Institution: University of Arkansas
Principal Investigator: Sarah Hernandez
Proposed Start and End Date: 0/01/2024 to 09/30/2025
Project Description: This project aims to explore the use of Connected Vehicle (CV) data to estimate statewide seat belt use, replacing the current manual observation method mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CV data contains records of seat belt activity that may be leveraged to estimate statewide seatbelt usage. Third-party data providers like Wejo and Geotab collect and anonymize CV data so that it can be used by transportation agencies, researchers, and others. Currently, states must conduct extensive manual seat belt use surveys, which are time-consuming and subject to human error. By leveraging anonymized CV event data, this research will provide a proof of concept for a more efficient, accurate, and scalable method to gather seat belt usage data.

CV data offers the potential to collect seat belt engagement data continuously, providing richer insights without the need for costly manual observations. Data from vehicles like those using OnStar services can track seat belt latch events, which can be analyzed for patterns in seat belt use across various times, road types, and regions. A recent report by the USDOT Office of Highway Policy, Travel Monitoring Surveys division titled “Post event Connected Vehicle Data Exploration- Lessons Learned” (2024), used CV data from Wejo and the USDOT Joint Program Office CV pilot project to investigate the feasibility of several applications including seat belt use monitoring. The CV data used in the USDOT report contained instantaneous records with timestamps of seat belt engagement as latched or unlatched. The report connected latched/unlatched events to associated trips to examine latched/unlatched behavior in the context of speed, distance, and travel time (time spent under respective latched/unlatched status).

The proposed work expands on the USDOT study in two ways. First, the USDOT study did not evaluate the correlation between seat belt usage statistics generated from CV data and those of observed data such as that collected by states for NHTSA mandated studies. Second, the USDOT study did not investigate the belt latch chain of events, e.g., belt latch before/after vehicle engaged, etc. This is critical knowledge needed for the potential use of CV event data for seat belt use monitoring. For the proposed work, we will use survey and technology-based approaches to determine latch event chains. By quantifying seat belt latch chain of event, we will be able to determine the degree to which CV event data for seat belt events can replace or supplement traditional means of seat belt use data collection.
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