Survey: Too many Missourians don’t buckle up
More than one in five Missourians don’t wear their seatbelts, according to a new statewide survey.
The disturbing data, gathered through observations at 460 “survey sites” throughout the state, show Missouri continues to lag behind the national average for seatbelt use. Only 77 percent of Missourians buckle up, compared to 84 percent nationally.
Seat belt usage was only slightly better than last year, when 76 percent of Missourians wore them, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Based on local survey results, 79.5 percent of St. Louis County motorists wore seatbelts and 82.6 percent of St. Charles County buckled up, said MoDOT spokeswoman Melissa Black. Statewide, the highest seatbelt use was found in Webster County, with 90.7 percent. The lowest was 64 percent in Lawrence County. Both counties are in southwest Missouri.
“Traditionally, we see higher rates in the cities and lower rates in the rural areas,” Black said.
Southwest Missouri had the biggest problem with motorists failing to buckle up, MoDOT officials said today. The 10-county area near Joplin and Springfield had a 66 percent usage rate. More than 100 people died in traffic crashes in those counties in 2008, including 62 who weren’t wearing a seat belt.
MoDOT said it is teaming with local law enforcement in that area on a pilot project through the end of the month. Police will be cracking down on those who don’t wear seat belts. There will also be an ad campaign.
MoDOT backs a primary seatbelt law.
“Right now,” Black said, “it’s probably the only thing that will increase our usage rate.”
Last year in Missouri, 489 people were killed in car accidents in which they were not wearing seat belts.
I would say that this is a prime example of Mother Nature thinning the crowd but I prefer to say that you just can’t fix STUPID.
Darwin at work
even with all the expensive ad campaigns and extra rights for cops to pull you over just for seat belts and all.
How many were killed that had their seatbelts on is my question?
just another freedom taken away…and i agree, how many were killed WEARING their seatbelts???
The government has neither the right nor the responsibility to protect us from ourselves.
Whopty freakin do. Thanks for wasting more money on protecting me from myself.
I would have been dead the last 25 years if I had worn a seat belt in a bad car accident. Choice should be up the driver and not the state.
I looked at this thread just to see who the morons were that were going to question the validity of wearing seatbelts, and we already have a few knuckleheads weighing in.
Since Kim and Angela obviously don’t like seatbelts, maybe they can give us their rationale for not wanting to wear one. What is it ladies? You just like ‘freedom’? It is not comfortable? It wrinkles you tie dyed tank top and cool denim cutoffs? Please fill us in on why you feel that seat belt requirements are such a hindrance to your ‘freedoms’.
Ohio has a seat belt law but its only enforced during stops for other reasons. Traffic deaths are at an all time low in Ohio. In fact Ohio is one of several states where drug overdose deaths out ranks traffic deaths. The durg overdoes are from cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs.