Seat Belt Compliance Reaches Nearly 93% in Michigan

Seat belt usage rates in Michigan have increased from 92.6% in 2021 to 92.9% in 2022, reports WKAR.

The numbers come from a Michigan State University study. Officials at the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning are pleased about the increase after usage dropped down from around 94% in recent years, notes the report.

Moreover, seat belt compliance in the Wolverine State was at its best in 2009, reaching 98%.

Even so, Michigan’s current compliance rate compares admirably to the national seat belt use rate, which was at 90.4% in 2021, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In 2021, there were 1,131 traffic fatalities in Michigan. Because seat belts save lives, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is running a campaign through the end of July to enforce seat belt and other safety laws. The campaign includes two new commercials, reports WKAR.

One of the safest choices a motorist can make is to buckle up. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017, according to NHTSA data.