The number of drivers and passengers that are wearing their seat belts has reached an all-time high in 2012.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's annual survey, seat belt use was at 86 percent, up 2 percentage points from last year. The survey also revealed that most improved region in the United States was the South, which rose from 80 percent to 85 percent in one year.
Seat belt use has been increasing in the United States since 1994, coinciding with a decline in the percentage of unrestrained daytime passenger vehicle fatalities. This increase is also due to the large number of states that have implemented seat belt laws.
In Florida, the law states that all passengers in the front seat must wear their seat belts, as well as all passengers under the age of 18.
In the United States, more than 2 million adults are treated for serious injuries every year from motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are also one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Seat belts are the most effective way of saving lives in crashes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seat belt usage reduces serious crash related injuries and deaths by 50 percent.
To prevent death or serious injury be sure to buckle up, no matter how short the car ride might be.
For more information about motor vehicles accidents, please contact us.
Source: CNN, "Seat belt use reaches all-time high in U.S," Nov. 15, 2012.