CDC Study Finds Seat Belt Usage At 85 Percent

January 7th, 2011 - 8:58 pm ICT by GD  

By Ranjan Bhaduri
child-seat-beltJan 7, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more car drivers and passengers wear seat belts nowadays compared to the previous years. It has published the results of a study conducted on this subject. Almost 6 out of 7 drivers in U.S. have reported that they use seat belts while driving a car. In most of the states in U.S., using seat belts is a national norm. However, the rate of use varies from one state to another. While North Dakota scores a low rate of 59 percent, Oregon is on the top with 94 percent. Despite this statistics, every 14 seconds, a driver in U.S. has to be treated for crash injuries. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the CDC Director said in a statement that using seat belts properly reduces the chances of casualty and injury in a car crash. He also added that with increased rate of seat belt use car, accident related mortality will go down.

The U.S. states that have primary seat belt enforcement laws report high rates of seat belt usage as opposed to those states that have secondary laws. The national average seat belt use rate now stands at 85 percent in United States. As of now, primary enforcement seat belt laws are not enforced in 19 states of the country.

CDC’s Injury Center director Dr. Linda Degutis said that with increased seat belt usage in the U.S., the crash-related injuries are diminishing gradually. The study was conducted in 2008. It proves that car safety laws with strict enforcement go a long way in ensuring road safety.

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