Increasing seat belt use in the United States by promoting and requiring more effective seat belt reminder systems

Figures & data

Table 1. Estimated seat belt use rate for front and rear occupants if every U.S. vehicle was equipped with 100-second audible seat belt reminder in 2020.

Seating position	Observed belt use rate	Seat belt reminder system effectiveness	Estimated belt use rate
Front row	90.3%^a	29.6%^b	93.2%
Rear row	80.0%^a	29.6%^b	85.9%

^aObserved daytime belt use rates from Enriquez (2021).

^bEstimate from Kidd and Singer (2019b).

Table 2. Estimated potential number of front- and rear-occupant lives saved if every U.S. vehicle was equipped with a persistent 100-second audible seat belt reminder system in 2020.

Seating position	Vehicle type	Unbelted deaths	Fatality risk reduction from restraint use	Potential lives saved by restraint use	Seat belt reminder system effectiveness	Potential lives saved by persistent seat belt reminders
Front row^a	Passenger car	5,018	45%^c	2,258	29.6%^e	668
	Light trucks and vans	4,611	60%^c	2,767	29.6%^e	819
	Total	9,629		5,025	29.6%^e	1,487
Rear row^b	Passenger car	435	58%^d	252	29.6%^e	75
	Light trucks and vans	311	75%^d	233	29.6%^e	69
	Total	746		486	29.6%^e	144
Overall		10,375		5,511		1,631

Notes. Counts are rounded to the nearest whole number. Unbelted deaths are based on analysis of 2020 Fatality Analysis Reporting System data.

^aFront-row occupants older than 15 years.

^bSecond- and third-row occupants older than 7 years.

^cEstimate from Kahane (2000).

^dEstimate from Kahane (2017).

^eEstimate from Kidd and Singer (2019b).

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