MI Seat Belt Use Increasing

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seatbelt-2

More Michiganders are wearing their seat belts when in a vehicle than last year. Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kendall Wingrove tells WSJM News a study by Michigan State University finds this year’s seat belt usage rate is 94.4%, compared to 93% last year. He says campaigns to increase use may be working.

“We’ve worked hard in the last year to both educate the public and to have an enforcement campaign to back that up with our Click It or Ticket efforts,” Wingrove said. “It’s just one year and we don’t want to read too much into it, but we’re hopeful that these numbers will continue to go in the right direction.”

Wingrove says every 1% increase in seat belt use means an estimated 10 fewer traffic deaths and 100 fewer serious injuries. He adds the penalty for not wearing a seat belt is $65, and urges parents to make sure their kids know to buckle up. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning already has two Click It or Ticket campaigns planned for next year.