In Utah, motor vehicle crashes have been the leading cause of injury and death. While working closely with drivers, we at Robert J. DeBry & Associates believe in prioritizing safe driving. Safe driving includes the use of seat belts. Here are the seat belt statistics of 2021:
Reducing Severe Injuries and Deaths on the Roads
According to NHTSA, consistent and proper safety belt usage can reduce severe injuries and deaths by around 50% from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA also projects that if the entire 50 states achieve a 90% proper usage of seat belts, there would be approximately $5.5 billion savings.
Risky Driving Among Youths
According to a 2016 Safe Kids Worldwide research report, a certain percentage of teen drivers have been risking their lives. This is by involving themselves in risky driving and traffic violations like not wearing seat belts properly. At Robert J. DeBry & Associates, our car accident attorneys encourage parents to speak with their teens about driving safety.
What are the Percentages of Children Using Child Safety Seats?
The Department of Public Safety published the Utah Crash Summary. It reported alarming percentages of kids using safety seats in accidents.
From 2015 to 2019;
- 85.3% of one-year-old kids used their safety seats.
- 79.2% of two-year-old kids, 75.8% three-year-old kids, and 67.9% four-year-old children used their safety seats.
- The worst scenario was the 14.0% of eight-year-old kids.
How do Utah’s statistics compare with those of the U.S?
The death rate per 100 million miles traveled in Utah in 2018 was 0.81. This rate was slightly lower than that in the U.S in the same year, which was 1.13. An experienced car accident attorney may blame drivers for not wearing seat belts as the leading contributor to these deaths.
The observed seat belt usage in Utah across 17 counties exceeded the 90% mark, according to a 2019 study. These results improved from the 89.0% seat belt usage in 2018.