Missouri traffic fatalities have decreased by 35 percent since 2005 saving 1,538 lives. Yet seat belt use in Missouri has shown no improvement. Sixty-eight percent of the people killed in traffic crashes are unrestrained representing more than two times the amount of lives we have saved with our safety initiatives since 2005.
Statewide law enforcement will join together tomorrow, Feb. 25 for an aggressive seat belt enforcement effort to get more motorists to buckle up — and save more lives.
Despite evidence proving the benefits of wearing a seat belt, it's still not clicking for nearly one in four Missouri motorists.
Seat belt use in Missouri has remained relatively unchanged in the last six years and consistently below the national average. Missouri has 76 percent seat belt use, well below the national average of 85 percent. Teens and pick-up truck drivers are among those least likely to buckle up at 66 and 61 percent.
For more information about the benefits of seat belts, visit www.saveMOlives.com.
