Seat Belts and Occupant Safety 2026
Hosted by Mr. Larry Decina
Mr. Decina is currently a consultant and previously worked for TransAnalytics LLC., for the past 25 years. He holds a BS in Psychology and a MS in Information Science, both from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. He has over 40 years of experience in highway safety research. He has been a Principal Investigator on studies for NHTSA, IIHS, Safe Kids Worldwide, PennDOT, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, FHWA, and the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
His research in the past twenty years has primarily focused on seat belt and car seat law enforcement and public information programs, car seat messaging, and observation studies on car seat use and misuses. He has also conducted research throughout his career in older driver issues relating to medical and licensing issues, automated traffic signal and speed enforcement, transportation information and library science, traffic control, and other driver behavior issues.
He has presented his research at over 20 conferences for TRB, Lifesavers, NHTSA Regionals, PennDOT, and GHSA. He has over 50 publications and peer-reviewed journal articles on highway safety topics. He has developed guidebooks for child passenger safety (CPS) practitioners and law enforcement on observation techniques and enforcement. He is a certified CPS technician and present and past member of several Transportation Research Board Committees.
Child Occupant Protection Data and Innovation
Ms. Adele Polson
Now in its eighth year, the National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF) program offers a number of data driven resources to help researchers understand child occupant protection. Created by technicians, for technicians, we are constantly evolving and expanding our tools to address feedback from the field. Additionally, the NDCF is now informing research. From individual techs to state coordinators and researchers, we've harnessed the NDCF data to deliver tools to track car seat checks, understand trends in misuse, identify underserved communities, and feed social media campaigns. The NDCF dataset represents the most comprehensive source of information on car seat use and misuse currently available, with over 200 data elements on each of our 350,000+ car seat checks. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the NDCF, highlighting the latest trends and findings from an in-depth analysis. This analysis provides new insights into car seat misuse, providing details on how children are protected (or not) in vehicles. The presentation details the ways car seat manufacturers are leveraging the data to improve their products and child passenger safety.
Ride-hailing in the Safe System: Increased Seat Belt Compliance and Late Model Year Vehicles
Dr. Eamon Campolettano
Though aggregate rear seat belt use is at an all-time high in the U.S. (82%), research has shown that fewer than 40% of ride-hailing passengers buckle up. Similarly, the age of ride-hailing vehicles, and thus the availability of the latest passive safety features, can vary considerably. Given the opportunity for passive safety benefits, this study evaluated the aggregate effect of these factors on injury at the serious (MAIS3+) and critical (MAIS5+) levels given the current U.S. planar crash severity distribution. Data from 2017-2023 of NHTSA’s Crash Investigation Sampling System (CISS) were input to a previously-published vehicle occupant injury risk model to estimate the MAIS3+ and MAIS5+ risk. The effect of increased seatbelt compliance and driving newer vehicles were estimated by varying these parameters. Relative to the current worst-case state of ride-hailing in the United States, a Vision Zero fleet, with increased seat belt compliance and new vehicles, has the potential to reduce serious (MAIS3+) and critical (MAIS5+) injuries, including fatalities, by 75% or greater. Accordingly, a ride-hailing service which consistently provides the safest available vehicles at the time for all occupants represents a key approach toward reducing serious and greater crash-related injuries and working toward the goal of Vision Zero.
Giving Comfort and Safety a Boost: Evaluating Comforts Influence on Belt Positioning Booster Seat Use
Dr. Rosalie Connell
This session highlights findings from her laboratory study examining how comfortable children are in booster seats over extended periods of time, using innovative pressure-sensing technology and wireless motion capture to capture real-time postures and comfort of booster occupants. Dr. Connell discussed observed behavioral trends in booster-aged children and the importance of all five steps in the 5-step test for determining proper booster seat use.
Evaluation of LATCH vs. non-LATCH Installations for Boosters in Frontal Impacts
Dr. Julie Mansfield
The objective was to understand how the use or non-use of the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system affects the performance of booster seats during frontal impacts. Sixteen frontal impact sled tests were conducted at 24.8 ± 0.3 g and 50.1 ± 0.2 kph. A production vehicle seat buck was attached to the sled. Four high-back boosters or combination seats in high-back booster mode and two backless booster models were tested. Each booster model was installed two different ways: using the LATCH system (“LATCH” installation) and without using the LATCH system (“non-LATCH” installation). All installations used a 3-point seat belt with retractor in emergency locking mode (ELR) to restrain a Hybrid III 6-year-old anthropomorphic test device (ATD). The retractor, belt webbing, buckle, vehicle seat cushion, and booster were replaced after each test. Some conditions were tested twice to establish repeatability. ATD and booster responses were compared between LATCH and non-LATCH tests. Using LATCH reduced the forward movement of the booster itself by 32.3% to 71.5% compared to non-LATCH installations. Differences in most other metrics were small and often within the range of normal test-to-test variation. Forward movements of the ATD head and heel were similar between LATCH and non-LATCH tests (typically less than 10% difference). HIC36 values trended slightly higher for LATCH installations compared to non-LATCH installations (0.8% to 17.2%). Chest resultant accelerations were typically 7.3% to 21.2% higher for LATCH installations, except for one booster for which it was lower with LATCH. Chest deflections trended higher for LATCH installations compared to non-LATCH installations for the backless boosters (6.9% to 14.1%). For high-back boosters, chest deflection was similar between installation conditions (less than 5% difference). Shoulder belt loads showed the greatest reductions when LATCH installations included a top tether (12.9% to 20.8%). Instances of the ATD submarining under the lap belt were not observed in these tests. Overall, the differences in kinematics and injury metrics were small between boosters installed using LATCH vs. non-LATCH.
Using Behavioral Science and Community Input to Strengthen Rear-Facing Car Seat Messaging
Ms. Ann Edwards
Many families still turn car seats forward-facing too early, despite strong evidence and AAP guidance supporting extended rear-facing. This presentation describes how we used behavioral science and community input to create clearer, more persuasive messaging that helps caregivers make safer choices. Focus groups with parents identified common barriers, including leg crowding concerns, confusion about recommendations, and peer pressure. Using insights from persuasion literature and focus group findings, this presentation will share how we designed a video intervention series that elucidates differences in crash forces, avoids fear-based messaging, and provides a clear call to action. They concluded by describing our dissemination strategy, including website integration, strategic partnerships, digital and outdoor media, influencer engagement, and a targeted launch, and share reach and engagement metrics.