Safety Belt Statistics
Missouri’s overall safety belt usage rate is 75.8 percent, compared to 83 percent nationwide. This includes safety belt use on drivers and front seat passengers of passenger cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks.
| Truck | 63.4 percent |
| Cars | 80.9 percent |
| Van | 83.7 percent |
| SUV | 82.9 percent |
A driver in a 2007 Missouri traffic crash had a one in 2.3 chance of being injured if they were not wearing their safety belt. However, if they were wearing a safety belt their chances of being injured in the crash were one in 7.6.
A driver in a 2007 Missouri traffic crash had a one in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing a safety belt. However, if they were wearing a safety belt their chances of being killed were one in 1,294.
National Statistics
- National research shows that fewer people wear their seat belts at night than during the day.
- In 2007, more than 14,464 passenger vehicle occupants died in crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research.
- Of that number, 63 percent were not wearing seat belts compared to 45 percent of unbelted daytime occupants between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.
- In 2007 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 15,147 lives. An additional 5,024 lives could have been saved if seat belts were worn at the time of the crash.
