New Study Shows States With Primary Seat Belt Laws Have Significantly Lower Fatality Rates

Wednesday, March 15th, 2006 Auto Legislation & Regulation

According to a new study of crash fatality data from 2000-2004 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle occupants have a 17 percent greater chance of being killed if they are in a crash in a state with a secondary enforcement seat belt law than in a state with a stronger primary enforcement law. The study found that the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in states not having primary enforcement laws was 1.21, compared to 1.03 in states with primary enforcement, or 17 percent higher. The fatality rate per 100,000 population was 23 percent higher in states not having primary enforcement laws.

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http://www.namic.org/topnews/060314st2.asp

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