Many Fatal Accidents Reported Despite Record Seat Belt Usage

Nov. 26, 2012

Seat belt usage in the United States has fluctuated in recent years. Despite record setting levels in 2012, experts predict a higher than normal number of motor vehicle fatalities this year.

CBS News reports that researchers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examined 73,460 drivers at approximately 1,700 locations nationwide for several years. Their statistics show that while the percentage of drivers wearing seat belts surged to record setting levels in 2012.

This past year, 86 percent of Americans were found to be wearing a restraint while in a vehicle. This was a six percent jump over the total from 2011, meaning an additional 18.6 million Americans are wearing seat belts.

Usage seemed to be highest in states where an officer can pull a driver over simply for not wearing a seat belt. In states where a driver must commit another violation before they can be pulled over, seat belt usage was as low as 78 percent.

Despite the rise in the number of drivers who are wearing seat belts, the NHTSA predicts a higher than normal number of roadway fatalities, despite the fact that seat belts are supposed to eliminate the risk of injury or death associated with car accidents, including Buffalo Car Accidents, by as much as 50 percent.

The Buffalo Car Accident Attorneys with William Mattar Law Offices understand the importance of buckling up and would encourage everyone to do so.