Increased Seat Belt Use is Due to Enforcement and Paid Ads

States With Primary Enforcement Laws Increase, Secondary Law States Decline

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 16 -- The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) heralded today's announcement of a record high 80 percent national seat belt usage rate. ACTS president Phil Haseltine said the increase, which will save approximately 250 lives a year, is largely attributable to the $30 million in paid advertising that publicized recent "Click It or Ticket" law enforcement mobilizations conducted throughout the country.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Occupant Protection Usage Survey (NOPUS) was conducted in June on the heels of the law enforcement mobilization in which more than 12,400 law enforcement agencies participated. The combination of national and state/local paid advertising has augmented the enforcement mobilizations for the past three years, resulting in steadily increasing usage rates.

While the survey found a two-point decline in states having secondary enforcement laws, recent state surveys have shown increases in many secondary law states. Haseltine said, "While the highest usage rates have been recorded in states with primary enforcement laws, a secondary enforcement seat belt law does not have to result in low belt use."

The disparity between usage rates in secondary and primary law states, which had narrowed for three consecutive years, increased in 2004. The new survey found belt use in states with primary enforcement laws to be 84 percent, compared to 73 percent in secondary law states.

Recent state surveys have found usage rates as high as 86 percent in Arizona, which has a secondary enforcement law. Washington State, at 94 percent, has a primary enforcement law and the Nation's highest usage rate.

Secondary enforcement laws require a law enforcement officer to observe another traffic law infraction in order to stop a motorist for a seat belt violation. Primary enforcement laws treat seat belt infractions like any other traffic law.

"The keys to high seat belt use are well-known," Haseltine added. "Laws should cover all occupants in all vehicles, impose meaningful penalties and permit primary enforcement. And, they must be enforced as vigorously as any other traffic law."

According to NHTSA, overall seat belt effectiveness in reducing the chance of fatalities is 45 percent in passenger car crashes and 60 percent in crashes involving light trucks. Seat belts are even more effective in some crashes, particularly rollovers. NHTSA data show that seat belts are 74 percent effective in preventing fatalities in passenger car rollovers and 80 percent effective in light truck rollovers.

ACTS is a nonprofit organization that educates the public and policymakers about traffic safety issues, particularly those associated with occupant restraint systems and other vehicle technologies. ACTS develops educational materials, sponsors research and conducts symposia on a variety of highway safety topics. ACTS' members include DaimlerChrysler Corporation; Ford Motor Company; General Motors Corporation; Mazda North American Operations; Nissan North America, Inc.; Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.; Volkswagen of America, Inc.; Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Inc., and the Automotive Occupant Restraints Council, Inc.

For more information, visit http://www.actsinc.org/.