Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year. In 2011 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 11,949 lives nationwide.
In fatal crashes during 2011, 77 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were thrown from their vehicles were killed. However, only 1 percent of crash victims who were buckled up were totally ejected from their vehicles, compared to 31 percent of those who were unbelted.
Statistics show nighttime drivers are less likely to buckle up compared to daytime drivers. 10,135 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes at night (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) in 2011. Of those killed in nighttime crashes, 62 percent were not wearing seat belts (compared to 43 percent of occupants killed during daytime hours of 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.).
In 2011, of the 21,253 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, 52 percent were NOT wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.
Younger motorists—young men in particular—are most at risk. Among teens and young adults, ages 18-34, who were killed in fatal crashes in 2011, 64 percent were NOT buckled up at the time of the crash—the highest percentage of any age group. The number jumps to 66 percent when only men in this age group are included.
Pickup truck drivers and passengers are also at risk. In 2011, 65 percent of pickup truck occupants who were killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up at the time of the crashes, compared to 46 percent of passenger car occupants who were killed from not buckling up.
In the state of California, the fine for driving without your seatbelt can be expensive. The minimum ticket cost of an adult seat belt violation in California is $142 and up, and a minimum of $445 for not properly restraining a child under 16. If the parent is not in the car, the driver gets the ticket.
The national Click It or Ticket mobilization has increased seat belt use and saved many lives over the years, but there is still much more that can be done. High-visibility enforcement and encouraging loved ones to buckle up can turn thousands of lives lost into many more lives saved.
