Using a seat belt is one of the easiest ways to prevent serious injuries or death in a car accident. Many of us know this by now, and in general, seat belt usage is increasing across the U.S. But different areas have varying laws surrounding seat belt usage, so seat belt usage rates differ from state to state. The result of using a seat belt is static across the board though: it reduces crash-related death and injuries by half. More than 50% of teens and adults who died in crashes in 2016 were not buckled up at the time of the accident.
States like North Dakota, Virginia and Massachusetts that see an increase in seat belt usage can thank effective initiatives. Whereas states like Wyoming, Oregon and Hawaii, which have seen a decrease in seat belt usage, should consider why fewer folks are buckling up.
Rankings
We looked at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data to compare seat belt usage from 2000 to 2017 in each state to find which states had the highest rate of improvement. Figures are based on seatbelt usage among drivers in fatal crashes. Rankings 1 (highest) to 50 (lowest) reflect states with the highest increase in seat belt usage.
| Rank (Highest) | State | Usage Rate in 2000 | Usage Rate in 2017 | Increase in Seat Belt Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 20.7% | 49.5% | 139% |
| 2 | Virginia | 37.5% | 68.5% | 83% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 25.3% | 44.8% | 77% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 35.4% | 59.0% | 67% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 43.5% | 67.8% | 56% |
| T-6 | Mississippi | 39.9% | 61.6% | 54% |
| T-6 | Minnesota | 45.9% | 70.7% | 54% |
| 8 | Kansas | 38.3% | 58.7% | 53% |
| 9 | Iowa | 44.5% | 64.8% | 46% |
| 10 | Louisiana | 44.1% | 62.6% | 42% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 34.5% | 47.9% | 39% |
| 12 | Maine | 50.8% | 68.9% | 36% |
| 13 | Florida | 58.1% | 78.2% | 35% |
| T-14 | Arkansas | 46.0% | 61.2% | 33% |
| T-14 | Kentucky | 49.8% | 66.1% | 33% |
| 16 | Indiana | 50.2% | 66.0% | 31% |
| T-17 | Delaware | 50.3% | 65.0% | 29% |
| T-17 | Utah | 53.9% | 69.4% | 29% |
| 19 | Idaho | 43.4% | 55.4% | 28% |
| T-20 | Alaska | 49.5% | 63.1% | 27% |
| T-20 | Arizona | 52.1% | 66.1% | 27% |
| T-22 | Illinois | 52.8% | 66.7% | 26% |
| T-22 | Connecticut | 51.6% | 64.8% | 26% |
| 24 | Washington | 56.9% | 70.9% | 25% |
| 25 | South Carolina | 55.5% | 68.7% | 24% |
| 26 | Georgia | 55.1% | 67.3% | 22% |
| T-27 | Missouri | 45.6% | 55.3% | 21% |
| T-27 | New Hampshire | 38.9% | 46.9% | 21% |
| T-27 | New Jersey | 63.3% | 76.3% | 21% |
| 30 | Nevada | 60.5% | 72.9% | 20% |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 45.7% | 54.6% | 19% |
| T-32 | Wisconsin | 50.5% | 59.6% | 18% |
| T-32 | Vermont | 57.3% | 67.6% | 18% |
| 34 | California | 69.0% | 80.8% | 17% |
| T-35 | Nebraska | 39.1% | 45.5% | 16% |
| T-35 | North Carolina | 62.5% | 72.5% | 16% |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 51.3% | 58.3% | 14% |
| T-38 | Ohio | 54.8% | 61.9% | 13% |
| T-38 | Michigan | 65.0% | 73.4% | 13% |
| 40 | New Mexico | 62.3% | 68.7% | 10% |
| T-41 | New York | 64.7% | 70.8% | 9% |
| T-41 | Colorado | 62.0% | 67.3% | 9% |
| 43 | Montana | 48.1% | 51.9% | 8% |
| 44 | Texas | 67.7% | 72.7% | 7% |
| T-45 | Alabama | 52.8% | 56.1% | 6% |
| T-45 | West Virginia | 46.6% | 49.3% | 6% |
| 47 | Maryland | 70.5% | 73.5% | 4% |
| 48 | Wyoming | 49.7% | 46.6% | -6% |
| 49 | Oregon | 73.9% | 67.6% | -9% |
| 50 | Hawaii | 68.4% | 60.2% | -12% |