IIHS calculator shows how better seat belt laws can boost safety in each state (IIHS)

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A new online tool from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows how specific changes to seat belt laws would affect belt use and fatality rates in each state.

The seat belt law calculator uses statistical models that IIHS developed. The models are based on published research findings about the effects of different types of seat belt laws.

White traffic sign that reads "State Law: Safety Belts Required" near a rural road with bare mountains and short shrubs in the distance.

“This calculator will help advocates and policymakers understand the safety benefits a state can reap with simple legislative changes,” said Chuck Farmer, IIHS vice president for research. “For the 22 jurisdictions that already have the strongest provisions in place, it shows the cost of any potential backsliding.”

If every state had optimal belt use laws, an estimated 277 lives would have been saved in 2023.

Seat belt laws vary widely throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. While New Hampshire is alone in not requiring belt use in the front seat, it is one of 16 states that don’t require adult passengers to buckle up in the rear.

Laws also vary according to the type of enforcement allowed. Primary enforcement laws allow police to stop a vehicle and issue a citation solely for failure to buckle up. Under secondary enforcement laws, police can only enforce seat belt requirements if they have pulled the driver over for another violation first.

Although most people buckle up, failure to use a seat belt remains a huge factor in road deaths. Among people 13 and older killed in crashes while riding in passenger vehicles in 2023, only 45% were confirmed to be using belts.

While state laws aren’t the only factor that influences belt use, use rates are generally lower in states with weaker laws. Studies have consistently shown that requiring belts can sway many holdouts and that laws with primary enforcement are more effective than those that allow only secondary enforcement.

Read “IIHS calculator shows how better seat belt laws can boost safety in each state” to learn more.