Area seat belt usage on rise

More Missourians are choosing to wear their seat belts, according to a recent survey done for the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

The 2017 Missouri Seat Belt Usage Survey final report, conducted by the Missouri Safety Center and University of Central Missouri, shows Missouri's overall seat belt usage is up to 84 percent - a 2.6 percent increase from 81.4 percent in 2016. The latest national average for seat belt usage is 90.1 percent.

Observers recorded data from 560 sites within the 28 Missouri counties on over 115,000 vehicle occupants. The report showed vehicle passengers and women were more commonly belted, and that occupants of sport utility/crossover and van/minivans also had a higher rate of seat belt usage at 86.5 percent. Pickup truck drivers and passengers had the lowest usage rate at 69.3 percent.

"With over 90 percent of traffic crashes attributed to human error, we know that most are preventable," said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. "Sixty-five percent of Missouri's traffic crash fatalities involve an unbelted driver or passenger."

Missouri is one of 15 states that do not have a primary seat belt law. To date, 53 Missouri cities and two counties have adopted primary seat belt ordinances.