Reported Seat Belt Use Is Up
Tuesday, February 6th, 2001 AutoReported use of seat belts or child restraints among bodily injury auto accident claimants has nearly doubled in the past decade (from 43 percent in 1987 to 87 percent in 1997), according to a recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) study. The study found that usage is highest among women and older adults and lowest among children seven to sixteen years old. Not surprisingly, accident victims who reported wearing seat belts were much less likely to be seriously injured, disabled, or killed in an accident than those not wearing seat belts. Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, senior vice president who heads the IRC, said, "It is clear that increased public education on the effectiveness of seat belt use in saving lives and the enactment of seat belt laws have been successful in encouraging Americans to buckle up.
