In 2014, seat belt use rates in the United States ranged from a low of 68.9 percent in South Dakota to a high of 97.8 percent in Oregon. Nineteen States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands achieved belt use rates of 90 percent or higher. These results are from probability-based observational surveys conducted by 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. In 2011, NHTSA established new uniform criteria (23 CFR Part 1340) for observational surveys. In 2014, all the States’ and Territories’ observational surveys conformed to the new uniform criteria. Compliance with the criteria is verified annually by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Seat belt use rates in the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, other U.S. Territories, and nationwide from 2007-2014 are listed in the table below, Shaded rates indicate jurisdictions with primary seat belt enforcement during the calendar year of the survey. However, the law was not necessarily in effect when the survey was being conducted. The 2014 State and Territory survey results include the following: * Nineteen States, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands achieved belt use rates of 90 percent or higher. These States include, in descending order of belt use rate: Oregon, Georgia, California, Alabama, Minnesota, Washington, Illinois, Nevada, Hawaii, Michigan, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, Delaware, Texas, North Carolina, New York, Indiana, and South Carolina. * Jurisdictions with stronger seat belt enforcement laws continue to exhibit generally higher use rates than those with weaker laws. (Author/publisher)
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