Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
Yet nearly one in five Americans (18 percent nationally) still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
Although safety belt use increased to a record 82 perent nationally in 2005 (up fron 58 percent since 1994), too many Americans still choose not to regularly wear their safety belts.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), 31,693 passenger vehcile occupants died in traffic crashes during 2004 - and 55 percent of those killed were NOT wearing their safety belts at the time of the crash.
In 2005, observed safety belt use in primary law states average 85 percent, compared to 75 percent in states with secondary laws.
Who is Least Likely to Buckle Up?
Men - especially younger men. Studies find young males, pickup truck occupants, rural drivers and drivers at night are those least likely to buckle up and at greatest risk. For more information and facts, read on... NHTSA's "Click It or Ticket" Fact Sheet"
Nighttime Seat Belt Enforcement Project
Research shows that over three-fourths of all traffic deaths involving drinking drivers occur at night. Though the number of people killed at night is about the same as the number of people killed during the day, the death rate at night is four times higher because traffic volumes are much lower at night.
The drinking driver-involved death rate is about 13 times higher at night than during the day. (FARS).
Research also shows that people who don't buckle up are less likely to require their children to buckle up. To read more facts on the need for seat belts at anytime...day or night, please link to the report below.
The Spokane County Target Zero Task Force is working with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and State Farm Insurance on a statewide educational campaign called, "Click It AND Ticket". The campaign will focus on educating and encouraging teens to wear seat-belts!
How the campaign works...students who arrive at school will be given a "ticket" for wearing a seatbelt. The "ticket" is similar to a real seat belt citation but the "ticket" is actually a entry into a drawing for one lucky student to win a $124.00 Debit Card!! Three area high schools have participated and three lucky winners won an easy $124 gift card!!
