Increased safety-belt use--United States, 1991

From 1980 to 1990, safety-belt use among passenger-vehicle drivers in the United States increased from 11% to 49%; in 1990, use of safety belts prevented approximately 4800 deaths and 120,000 serious injuries among front-seat occupants (1). The increased use of safety belts from 1984 through 1990 was associated primarily with the enactment of state laws (Figure 1). In recent years, however, the rate of increase in use has declined. To increase safety-belt and child passenger restraint use in the United States, in February 1991, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated the "70% by '92" program to increase safety-belt use to 70% by the end of 1992 through emphasis on enforcement efforts combined with public awareness campaigns. This report summarizes an assessment of the impact of the program through 1991.