Seat Belt Use on the Rise, CDC Says

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages five to 34. The agency notes, however, that seat belts are statistically one of the best ways to prevent serious and fatal injuries in car accidents. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people are paying attention to the facts and buckling up.

The report notes that seat belt use increased over the last six years. In 2002, around four out of five people on average stated they regularly wear a seat belt when operating or riding in a motor vehicle. The data indicates that number steadily increased over the next six years when, in 2008, 85 percent of people reported using safety belts.

The report also compared the rates of seat belt use in states that have primary enforcement laws versus secondary enforcement states. Primary enforcement states are those in which a seat belt violation is enough for a police officer to pull over a vehicle and issue a citation. In secondary states, the citation can only be issued if the driver has been pulled over for a different traffic violation. In primary states, 88.2 percent of people reported using seat belts, compared with secondary states where the rate was nine percentage points lower.

Only one state, New Hampshire, does not have any primary or secondary seat belt law in place. In California, all passengers 16 years and older are required to use a seat belt. The law was initially passed in 1986, but became a primary enforcement law in 1993 according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The NHTSA notes that California is one of many states that conducts annual "Click It or Ticket" campaigns. The NHTSA also notes that California had one of the highest usage rates among the states with primary enforcement laws at 93 percent.