Whether you’re in the middle of a project like moving or on your way to work or even just driving a short distance, do you wear your seat belt? Seat belt usage has grown exponentially over the past 25 years and now is at the highest percentage of drivers and passengers ever. All states, with the exception of one, have seat belt laws yet only 32 of those states have primary enforcement. Primary enforcement is the ability for a police officer to issue a citation for failure to wear your seat belt. The 32 states with primary enforcement laws have a 90% rate of use vs. 78% rate of use for the remaining states without primary enforcement.
We all know we should wear it but why don’t we?
- The U.S. Department of Transportation states that motor vehicle crashes are the top source for death among those aged 1-54 in the United States with more than 2.2 million adult drivers and passengers being treated in the Emergency Room due to being injured in a motor vehicle crash.
- Nearly half of all injuries and deaths in motor vehicle accidents could be prevented by simply wearing a seat belt.
- Seat belts saved an average of 13,250 lives of vehicle passengers over the age of 4 in 2008.
- According to the CDC, 64% of all vehicle passengers aged 13-15 and 21-34 that were killed in fatal crashes in 2008 were not wearing a seat belt.
- Drivers 16-20 years old said the most common reason they don’t always wear a seat belt is that they forget.
Next time you hop into your vehicle think of these seat belt safety statistics, the facts don’t lie, seat belts save lives.
How often do you wear a seat belt? Discover more driving safety tips or our driving check list.
