Our Opinion: Good and bad news on safety belt use

News Tribune editorial

A recent survey on Missouri safety belt use yields proverbial "good news and bad news."

The good news is the statewide survey found more Missouri drivers and passengers are buckling up this year. The rate climbed to 81.5 percent, up 1.5 percent from last year's results.

The bad news is Missouri's numbers remain below the national average, which was 88.5 percent in 2015.

The results are based on 123,678 observations of Missouri drivers and passengers, and were reported by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

"It's vital that the driver and all passengers are buckled up every trip, every one, every time, day and night," said Bill Whitfield, executive committee chairman of the coalition. "Ninety-four percent of the time driver error is responsible for a crash, and your safety belt is your best defense if a crash occurs."

Breakout results reveal geographic and gender variations.

Safety belt usage ranged from a low of 63 percent in Jackson County to a high of 95 percent in Montgomery County.

Females tend to buckle up more, 85 percent, than males, 78.6 percent.

Pickup truck drivers are only 69.7 percent likely to buckle up, while drivers of sport utility vehicles buckle up at 86.7 percent.

The bottom line is seat belt use is the most effective way to prevent serious injury or death in an accident.

As of Thursday, the coalition reported 669 people have died in Missouri traffic crashes this year, an 8 percent increase over this time last year. Of those deaths, 439 were vehicle occupants who had a seat belt available, but 60 percent chose not to wear a safety belt and were killed, according to the coalition.

We're encouraged, overall, that Missourians increasingly are buckling up. Now let's strive to be above average when it comes to this simple act of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.