Missouri trails national average in seat belt usage

Missouri falls behind the country in the use of seat belts, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The agency says seat belt usage has remained steady at 79 percent for all drivers, but increased one percentage point to 67 percent for teenagers.

Both of those statistics are less than the nationwide average of 85 percent.

MoDOT says law enforcement agencies across the state will conduct a one-day seat belt enforcement campaign on Monday, Nov. 5. Police will have a zero tolerance approach to enforcing seat belt laws.

As of Nov. 17, there have been 668 deaths on Missouri roads in 2013. 62 percent of those killed were not wearing a seat belt or safety device.