This field records the restraint system or safety equipment in use by this person at the time of the crash.
Fill out this field regardless of whether the vehicle is equipped with manual systems, automatic belts or harnesses, air bags, or any combination of these.
The child restraints / booster seats take precedence over the belt use. For a child in a child restraint system not using the 5-point harness or in a booster not using the belt restraint select the child restraint system or booster and indicate mis-use.
01 - Shoulder Belt Only Used is used for a two-part restraint system where only the shoulder belt portion is connected to a buckle.
Example: You are selecting an option for a driver in the vehicle that has an automatic shoulder harness and a manual belt. The shoulder harness was used at the time of the crash, but the lap belt was not. Select 01 - Shoulder Belt Only Used.
02 - Lap Belt Only Used is used when this person is using a lap safety belt either because the motor vehicle is equipped only with a lap belt or because the shoulder belt is not in use.
Note: The presence of an air bag system does not mean that there are no active belts present. In fact, most air bag equipped vehicles also have some belt restraint system installed in the seat positions protected by the air bags.
03 - Shoulder and Lap Belt Used is used when this person’s restraint system consists of both the shoulder belt and lap belt portions and is connected to a buckle.
04 - Child Restraint System - Forward Facing is used when a child passenger is seated in a forward facing child safety seat. This does not imply correct use or placement of the seat.
05 - Child Restraint System - Rear Facing is used when a child passenger is seated in a rearward facing child safety seat. This does not imply correct use or placement of the seat.
06 - Child Restraint Type Unknown is used when some type of child restraint was in use, but the type of restraint is not clear.
07 - Booster Seat is used when a child passenger is seated in a "belt-positioning seat" that positions a child on a vehicle seat to improve the fit of the child in a lap and shoulder seatbelt system.
08 - Restraint Used - Type Unknown is used when some type of restraint was in use but the type of restraint is not clear.
09 - Reflective Equipment / Clothing (Jacket, Backpack, etc.) is used when this person was wearing or carrying some type of reflective equipment. The emphasis is on the reflective property of the equipment and does not include devices which give off light under their own power (e.g., flashlights). The equipment can be reflective tape affixed to regular clothing, special reflective clothing, a reflective device that is worn or a reflective device that is carried. It can be made by the person and does not have to be specifically designed as a safety device.
10 - Protective Clothing / Pads (Elbows, Knees, Shins, etc.) is used when this person was wearing padded, shaped attachments to protect specific areas of the body (elbows, knees, shins, etc.) from injury.
11 - Lighting is used when this person uses a light on his/her person or on a pedalcycle or personal conveyance for safety purposes, to include flashlights.
12 - DOT-Compliant Motorcycle Helmet is used when this person wears a motorcycle helmet that is compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
13 - Helmet, Other than DOT-Compliant Motorcycle Helmet is used when:
- this person is a motorcyclist and wears a motorcycle helmet that is not compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or
- This person is a bicyclist wearing a bicycle helmet.
15 - No Helmet is used when this person was not wearing a helmet.
16 - No Restraint System Used is used when this person was not using any type of restraint system.
17 - No Safety Equipment Used is used when this person was not wearing or carrying any type of safety equipment.
96 - Other Restraint System is used when this person was using another restraint system not listed in the options above.
97 - Other Safety Equipment is used when this person was using another safety equipment not listed in the options above.
98 - Unknown if Helmet Worn is used when it is not known if this person was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
99 - Unknown if Used is used when it is unknown if any restraint systems or safety equipment was used at the time of the crash.