What was the national use rate of seat belts in 2019?
91%
U.S. seat belt use rates have steadily increased over time. In 1994, the observed national seat belt use rate was 58%. In 2019, belt use had reached 91%. Yet despite these gains, too many drivers and passengers are choosing not to buckle up and are paying for it with their lives.
Which state has the highest seat belt usage?
Highest Seat Belt Usage States
- Georgia – 97.10%
- Hawaii – 96.90%
- Oregon – 96.80%
- California – 96.20%
- Washington – 94.80%
What percentage does wearing a seat belt save lives?
Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seat belts prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash.
How many deaths do seat belts cause?
Of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 47% were not wearing seat belts. Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seat belts, in 2017 alone. 1.
Which state has the lowest rate of seat belt usage in the nation?
Seat belt use in the country in 2016 ranged from a minimum of 70.2% in New Hampshire to a maximum of 96.9% in Georgia. 19 states had use rates above 90%.
How many deaths are caused by not wearing seat belts?
In that year alone, of the 37,133 who died in car accidents, 17,452 people were not wearing a seatbelt. With a mortality rate of 47% for those who choose not to, wearing a seatbelt is absolutely critical to driver and passenger safety.
Can a seatbelt cut your neck?
By using three-point belts, collision with the dashboard and steering wheel will be avoided. However, this belt type may lead to fracture of ribs, sternum and clavicle and neck vertebrae; strangulation and hanging on the left side of the car have also been reported (13-15).
Do seat belts really save lives?
Seat Belts Save Lives. The law requires that all vehicle occupants wear an appropriate seat belt. Wearing seat belts reduces the risk of death in motor vehicle crashes by up to 45%. Seat belts prevent 99% of occupants being ejected in a crash.
How do seat belts save lives?
Seat Belts Save Lives. At a slower speed, wearing a seat belt will, at the very least, keep you in your seat where you can still control and maneuver your vehicle, rather than attempting to do it from the passenger seat or back seat where you may end up. At a higher speed, the faster you go, the more kinetic energy you and the vehicle possess.
How effective are seat belts?
The study estimated that three point seat belts were 40% to 50% effective at preventing fatal injuries, 45% to 55% effective at preventing serious injuries and 10% effective at preventing slight injuries. Lap belts were less effective than three point belts.
Are seatbelts a federal law?
However, the first seat belt law was a federal law, Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, which took effect on January 1, 1968, that required all vehicles (except buses) to be fitted with seat belts in all designated seating positions.