Occupant Protection & Safety Belts
The Issue
Safety belts are the single most effective way to protect people in crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that from 1975 to 2001 seat belts saved 147,246 lives. Buckling seat belts reduces the risk of fatal and critical injuries to front seat passenger car occupants by as much as 50 percent. Seventy-one percent of people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2002 were unrestrained.
The Issue in the Kansas City Region
State laws in both Kansas and Missouri require drivers and passengers to buckle up. Law enforcement personnel will issue a ticket if you are stopped and not restrained by a seat belt. No exceptions.
In 2003, the national average for seat belt use was 79 percent. Observational seat belt studies indicate that many of the counties in the Kansas City area fall below the national average for belt usage. Studies have shown the following usage rates in some counties in the Kansas City region:
County |
1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Jackson, Mo. | 67% |
67% |
71% |
75% |
75% |
| Johnson, Kan. | 66% |
72% |
64% |
65% |
65% |
| Wyandotte, Kan. | 76% |
73% |
69% |
78% |
80% |
| Clay, Mo. | 59% |
68% |
65% |
48% |
72% |
| Platte, Mo. | 66% |
73% |
71% |
75% |
79% |
| Leavenworth, Kan. | 65% |
61% |
61% |
57% |
57% |
(Seat belt data is not available for Cass County, MO and Ray County, MO.)
What You Can Do
- Know the facts about seat belt use. When properly used, lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent. Moderate to critical injuries are reduced by 50 percent.
- Know the facts about child passenger safety seats. When used correctly, child safety seats are 71 percent effective in preventing fatalities, 67 percent effective in reducing the need for hospitalization and 50 percent effective in preventing injuries.
- Make sure your safety belt fits right. It should sit low across the hips without riding up onto your stomach. The shoulder part of the belt should be across the collarbone and chest, not against he neck or face.
- Always buckle up.
