MODOT announces seat belt usage is on rise

The 2017 Missouri Seat Belt Usage Survey final report shows that Missouri’s overall seat belt usage is up to 84 percent.

MODOT said this is a 2.6 percent increase from 81.4 percent in 2016.

Observers recorded data from 560 sites within the 28 Missouri counties on over 115,000 vehicle occupants.

“With over 90 percent of traffic crashes attributed to human error, we know that most are preventable. However, a seat belt is your best defense in a vehicle crash,” said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. “Pay attention, buckle up, and never drive distracted or impaired.”

Missouri is one of only 15 states that does not have a primary seat belt law.

MODOT said 53 cities and two counties have adopted their own primary seat belt ordinances to protect their citizens.