SEAT BELTS
 Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injury and death by 40% to 60%.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children. In Minnesota in 2006, 14 child occupants ages 14 and under died in motor vehicle crashes.
In 2006, three of the 14 children who died in automobile crashes in Minnesota were unbelted.
Nationaly, approximately 20-25 percent of children ages 1 through 15 years ride unrestrained. This places them at much greater risk of death and injury than children belted and in child safety seats.
National averages show seat belt use rate in states with standard enforcement laws is more than 10 percentage points higher than in states with secondary enforcement laws.
Minnesota's seat belt use rate held steady at 83% after reaching an all-time high of 84% in 2005. The national average is 81%.
In Minnesota severe injuries are steadily declining as the less severe injuries are increasing in the decade and a half since the seat belt legislation of the mid-1980s. In 1987, 4,176 motor vehicle occupants suffered severe injuries. In 2006, that number was 1,328 (latest data available). This is excellent news. By definition, minor (or "possible") and moderate (or "non-incapacitating") injuries do not produce long-term and severe suffering, while severe injuries often cause such suffering, including consequences such as severe and permanent brain damage, paralysis, dismemberment, or epilepsy.
A recent nationwide observational study conducted by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign found that when a driver was wearing a seat belt, children in the vehicle were buckled 95% of the time. However, when adults were not wearing seat belts, the number of children restrained was only 40%. The study also found that nearly a third of children observed were riding in the wrong restraints for their age and size.
Another study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that when drivers were buckled up, child passengers were restrained 87% of the time. However, when drivers were not buckled up, children were restrained only 24% of the time.
It's commonly reported that a majority of child car seats are installed incorrectly. However, the most frequent errors are simple ones that can be easily corrected. For more information about choosing a car seat and installing it correctly, see www.CarSeatsMadeSimple.org |
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Safe Kids Campaign
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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