Elaine Guillory is a member of the Idaho Seat Belt Coaliton.
By ELAINE GUILLORY
Traffic-related injuries are the leading cause of all injury deaths in America. In 2005, 126 Idahoans killed in car crashes were not wearing their seat belts, and 452 Idahoans were seriously injured as a result of not wearing a seat belt. According to the Idaho Department of Transportation, Idaho's 2005 traffic-fatality rate was 26 percent higher than the United States fatality rate.
This problem is serious and immediate with the impact of those who refuse to buckle up resulting in $575 million paid by Idahoans per year in injury-related costs. In addition, these unnecessary injuries drive up insurance rates paid by all. Costs associated with Idaho residents not using seat belts are passed on to our children, society and businesses.
Medical data shows that safety belts reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries. Belted drivers have a better chance of maintaining control of their vehicles in the event of a crash, protecting passengers and others on the road. Unfortunately, the threat of serious injury or even death isn't enough to persuade some people to buckle up.
Law enforcement agencies currently stop vehicles for minor safety infractions, such as having a taillight out, but they cannot pull someone over for not wearing a seatbelt. A primary seatbelt law would change that fact. Like other transportation safety professionals, police are interested in saving lives and reducing injuries. Allowing for primary enforcement procedures enhances the perceived importance of the seat belt use with both the public and the police. Ultimately, this leads to greater use rates.
National crash data indicates that weak seat belt laws don't give law enforcement the tools necessary to protect children. According to the research, when an adult is unbuckled, 70 percent of the time children are also unbuckled. Every state has primary enforcement seat belt laws covering children, but still six out of every 10 children killed in crashes are unbelted. The evidence is clear—if we are going to protect children in cars we must get adults buckled up.
States with primary laws have seat belt use that is consistently 10 to 15 percent higher than secondary law states. These laws work, and their effectiveness is easily measured. For instance, since California made the change to primary enforcement in 1993, seat belt use has risen from 70 percent to 90 percent. Idaho's 2006 seat belt use rate is 80 percent, up from the 2005 use rate of 76 percent. Still, the 20 percent of Idahoans who do not buckle up account for 60 percent of the people killed in traffic crashes.
Primary enforcement seat belt laws are necessary because if everyone buckled up in the United States, more than 5,500 deaths and 79,000 serious injuries would be prevented, and $17 billion would be saved each year. Saving the lives of our friends, neighbors, and family members is within our grasp. It is definitely a goal worth achieving, and the most effective way to get adults in Idaho to wear seat belts is to pass a primary enforcement seat belt law. The personal and financial benefits to buckling up are concrete. Now is the time to ask your legislative leaders to implement a stronger seat belt law.
