safety belt use between 2003 and 2004, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today. The new statistics also show that the 95 percent belt use rate barrier has been broken for the first time this year by two states: Arizona and Hawaii. "It’s no coincidence that as safety belt use reaches record levels that we are seeing record low fatality rates," Secretary Mineta said. "We will keep up the pressure because we still have too many Americans dying on our roads and too many Americans not wearing their safety belts." Earlier this year, Secretary Mineta announced that the nationwide survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed belt use rates have hit the milestone of 80% -- the highest level in the nation’s history. NHTSA’s high-visibility "Click It or Ticket" campaign has produced consistent and significant increases in safety belt use since 2001." />
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New NHTSA Data Show Rising Safety Belt Use Rates in Most States

Washington DC November 23, 2004; Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico increased safety belt use between 2003 and 2004, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today.

The new statistics also show that the 95 percent belt use rate barrier has been broken for the first time this year by two states: Arizona and Hawaii.

"It’s no coincidence that as safety belt use reaches record levels that we are seeing record low fatality rates," Secretary Mineta said. "We will keep up the pressure because we still have too many Americans dying on our roads and too many Americans not wearing their safety belts."

Earlier this year, Secretary Mineta announced that the nationwide survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed belt use rates have hit the milestone of 80% -- the highest level in the nation’s history. NHTSA’s high-visibility "Click It or Ticket" campaign has produced consistent and significant increases in safety belt use since 2001. Over that period, nationwide use rates have increased from 73% to 80%, saving approximately 3,400 lives.

The new state-by-state statistics show where the biggest gains are being made. Leading the nation in safety belt use: Arizona (95.3 percent); Hawaii (95.1 percent); Washington State (94.2 percent); Oregon (92.6 percent); and Michigan (90.5 percent). Also registering more than 90 percent belt use in 2004 were California (90.4 percent); and Puerto Rico (90.1 percent).

States with the lowest belt usage rates in the nation in 2004: Mississippi (63.2 percent); Massachusetts (63.3 percent); Arkansas (64.2 percent); South Carolina (65.7 percent); and Kentucky (66 percent). New Hampshire was the only state not to report a statistically reliable estimate of its belt use rate for 2004.

The five states achieving the greatest gains in safety belt use between 2003 and 2004 are: Arizona (9.1 percentage point gain); Nevada (up 7.9 percentage points); Delaware (up 7.4 percentage points); Michigan (up 5.7 percentage points); and Virginia (up 5.3 percentage points).

Comparative figures on belt use are not available for the 2003-2004 period for three states: Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming.

Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, head of NHTSA, credited several national organizations for their substantive involvement with high-visibility "Click It or Ticket" enforcement mobilizations. Among them: the Governors Highway Safety Association; The Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign; The International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Sheriffs’ Association; as well as over 10,000 state and local police agencies throughout the country. He also credited two other DOT agencies, The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, for their emphasis on nationwide safety belt use.

The new state-by-state statistics were released by the DOT as numerous states began conducting major safety belt use crackdowns over the Thanksgiving holiday period.

In contrast to the nationally representative sample survey released earlier by the department, these state-by-state statistics were derived from data collected by the states’ own surveys, conducted in accord with criteria established by NHTSA. The agency’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis then verified the survey methods and compiled the statistics.

Click here to view state-by-state safety belt use rate data on the Internet.