Nov. 22, 2016—Seat belt use in the U.S. has reached its highest level since the government first started regular national surveys in 1994, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The new data shows daytime belt use reached 90.1 percent, a significant increase from 88.5 percent in 2015. Seat belts saved nearly 14,000 lives during 2015 alone, and an estimated 345,000 lives since 1975. The nation’s chief auto safety agency credits state legislators for enacting strong laws, and our nation’s police officers for strong enforcement of those laws.
“We are encouraged by this progress, but with so many people still dying in crashes because they are not wearing their seat belts, we will not rest until we reach 100 percent,” said NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind.
