Safety Belt Statistics

SAFETY BELT USAGE STATISTICS FROM 2024

• Missouri's overall safety belt usage is 88.3% (2024 Data). This includes passenger cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks. The national safety belt usage rate was 91.9% in 2023.
• Usage rate among teens is 71.8% (2022 data).
• Safety belt usage rate for pickup trucks is 75.3% (2024 Data).
• The safety belt usage rate for passenger cars is 84.9% (2024 Data).
• The safety belt usage rate for van/minivan is 86.8% (2024 Data) and for SUVs is 90.1% (2024 Data).
• The complete 2023 Survey Report can be viewed here.

MISSOURI SAFETY BELT USAGE RATES BY YEAR

2011: 79.0%
2012: 79.4%
2013: 80.1%
2014: 78.8%
2015: 79.9%
2016: 81.4%
2017: 84.0%
2018: 87.1%
2019: 87.7%
2020: 86.1%
2021: 88.0%
2022: 88.9%
2023: 87.0%
2024: 88.3%

Secondary Seat Belt Law In the State of Missouri

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration supports the enactment of primary seat belt laws. Primary (standard) enforcement allows a law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle and issue a citation when the officer observes an unbelted driver or passenger. Secondary enforcement means that a citation for not wearing a seat belt can only be issued after the officer stops the vehicle or cites the offender for another infraction. Missouri has a secondary law.

  Considerable research has shown that upgrading from a secondary to a primary seat belt law will significantly raise seat belt use rates when combined with education and enforcement.