Perhaps you’ve seen the ads or the billboards. Perhaps you know you should buckle up, but you don’t. Perhaps this is the first thing you’ve read about our big push to get seat belt use from 86% to 100% in Idaho.
Welcome.
Why are we so adamant about seat belts? Because we are adamant about life. About living. We want Idahoans to survive and thrive. We want you to make it home at the end of the day.
We know that telling people what to do doesn’t inspire change. So, after 10+ years of collecting data, we’re lifting the hood to let the numbers speak for themselves.
Here’s what the data tells us about:
- How many Idahoans are wearing their seatbelts
- Behavior trends around why people wear seatbelts
- The connections between wearing a seatbelt and surviving a crash
A decade of seatbelt trend data
But first, our sources. In Idaho, we’ve been measuring seat belt usage for years through:
- Observational Surveys: We work with partners across the state on our observational survey. This involves sending teams to sites throughout Idaho where they count the number of motor vehicles that pass by and the number of people that can be seen wearing their seat belts. In 2024, 28,079 vehicles were observed, which included 22,584 drivers and 5,495 outboard passengers.
- Crash Reports: Each time there is a crash on a public roadway, police officers send us their crash reports – they let us know whether or not the people involved were wearing their seat belts. The information we gather from our crash reports and observational survey is compiled and published in our crash dashboards and Annual Crash Report.
- Zero-party data: We also recently wrapped up our fourth year of a public survey that asks Idahoans about their seat belt usage. This year, 858 people in Idaho answered the survey—all 18 or over, have a valid Idaho driver’s license, and have been Idaho residents for at least six months.
Seat Belt Usage Trends and Perceptions in Idaho
Here are three key takeaways the data tells us about seatbelt safety in Idaho:
Idahoans are increasingly wearing a seat belt—but there is room for improvement.
Since 2014, Idaho’s seat belt usage has increased from 80% to closer to 88%, with some fluctuation. However, we remain slightly below the national average of 92% (NHTSA).
In an observational survey, we asked, “How often do you wear a seat belt when you are driving or riding in a vehicle?”
Consistent with our data, 82% said they do—a slight decrease from previous years.
Keep in mind that self-reported seat belt use can be biased because of perceived penalties involved with not wearing a seat belt.
When people perceive greater consequences, they are more likely to wear a seat belt.
When people perceive greater consequences for not wearing seat belts, usage increases significantly. Nine in ten survey respondents said they always wear their seat belts when they think they’re very likely to get a ticket.
We combined the data of those who said they always wear a seat belt with those who said they think it’s more likely they’ll get a ticket for not wearing a seat belt:
Ninety-two percent of those who said they always wear a seat belt also perceive the chances of getting a ticket for not wearing a seat belt as “very likely.”
They’re not wrong—seat belt violations were one of the top ten traffic violations for drivers in 2023.
Here’s how Idaho’s seat belt law has evolved:
— In 1986, Idaho law required seat belt use for front seat passengers and drivers, regardless of residency, in vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 8,000 pounds or less and manufactured with safety belts.
— In 2003, the law was updated to cover all seating positions and enhanced the penalties for drivers less than 18 years of age. Drivers and occupants 18 years of age and older receive separate tickets.
— The law is a “secondary” law and can only be enforced when someone is stopped for another traffic violation.
In 2023, 7,893 seat belt violations were reported in Idaho—meaning a ticket was given because someone wasn’t buckled in. Not wearing a seat belt was Idaho’s third most cited traffic violation last year; there were more seat belt violations than DUI and distracted driving violations.
If you are wearing a seat belt, you are more likely to survive a crash.
Why is there a need for penalties concerning seat belt usage? Because seat belts save lives.
We used ITD and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data to create two scenarios:
Say it’s 2023, and you’re in a single-vehicle crash, NOT wearing your seat belt.
- You are 30x more likely to be ejected from the vehicle (NHTSA).
- If you’re ejected from your vehicle (totally or partially,) you have roughly a 20% chance of surviving.
- If you don’t survive, you become part of 99 single-vehicle fatalities in 2023 in Idaho.
Now, say it’s 2023, and you’re in a single-vehicle crash—but you ARE wearing your seat belt.
- There’s a 50% chance you survive.
- If you survive, you become part of the 10,570 people who survived a single-vehicle crash 2023.
Let’s get to 100%, Idaho.
The data doesn’t lie. Seat belts are truly a life-or-death matter.
This is why our goal is to get to 100% seat belt usage in Idaho.
Here’s how you can help us get there:
- Find a way to remember.
Find a way to remember to buckle up as soon as you get in the car. If your car was made after 1972, it has some kind of a beeper that notifies you when someone is not buckled up. As annoying as it can be, it’s a good way to remember to buckle up.
If that’s not enough, find a way that’s unique to you. Maybe it’s a sticker on your dash. Maybe it’s getting a cushion for your seat belt so it’s comfortable to wear. Maybe it’s remembering that you could get a ticket—or that it could be what keeps you alive in a crash. Find a way to remember.
- Be brave about speaking up.
We know being “that person” can be tough. We hope these numbers empower you to speak up. If you’re with a friend who scoffs at wearing a seat belt or doesn’t think about it, say something. Share this stat: “Seat belts reduce the risk of death and injury by 50%.”
You are doing the right thing in speaking up.
Thanks for buckling up, Idaho.
