FACTS

Risk Factors for Seat Belt Use

1. Time of Day

One significant risk factor is the time of day. The report found that more people are using their seat belts during the day, accounting for fewer daytime fatalities for passenger vehicle occupants. Commuters and other motorists driving during weekdays were up to almost 91% by 2019, with a reported increase in seat belt use for rush-hour drivers, as well. However, the highest increase in seat belt use comes from motorists who travel on weekdays during non-rush hours.

2. Weather

NHTSA finds that seat belt use improves even in clear weather. In 2019, motorists increased seat belt use from 89.3% in 2018 to 90.9% in 2019.

3. Location

Seat belt use all depends nowhere you live. Rural areas are more likely to experience fatalities associated with motor vehicle accidents. Rural areas often deal with less residential traffic but a higher animal presence than metropolitan areas.

4. Law

Drivers continue to be motivated by the law and the legal consequences of not using your seat belt. Those who live in primary law states with seat belt laws in effect have higher compliance with seat belt use than other states with fewer or no laws at all.

STATS

• Research from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that seat belts save about 13,000 lives in the United States annually. The NHTSA also reports that over 2,500 lives of crash victims could have been saved if they had been wearing seat belts.
• Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 90.7% in 2019.
• Of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 47% were not wearing seat belts.
• In 2019, 36,096 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes on US roadways.
• When used properly, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passengers by 45% and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%.
• People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. More than 3 out of 4 people who are ejected during a fatal crash die from their injuries.
• Wearing your seatbelt in a light truck limits your risk of critical injury by 60%. (AAA)
• Nationally, most (90.1%) of Americans use seat belts. (CDC)