According to the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), the national estimate of seat belt use by adult frontseat passengers in 2022 was 91.6 percent, a record high.
Quick Highlights
- The seat belt use rate estimate represents the percentage of occupants who are belted during an average daylight moment.
- The 2022 data collection occurred in early June immediately following the Click It or Ticket campaign.
- Over the past 15 years, there has been an increasing trend of seat belt use, contrasted with a declining trend in the percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities during daytime.
- Seat belt use continued to be higher in the west compared to the other regions of the country.
- Seat belt use also continued to be higher in the States where vehicles can be pulled over solely for occupants not using seat belts (“primary law States”).
National Seat Belt Use Rate, 2009 – 2022
Year | Percent Seat Belt Use |
2009 | 84.10% |
2010 | 85.10% |
2011 | 83.80% |
2012 | 86.10% |
2013 | 87.20% |
2014 | 86.70% |
2015 | 88.50% |
2016 | 90.10% |
2017 | 89.70% |
2018 | 89.60% |
2019 | 90/7% |
2020 | 90.30% |
2021 | 90.40% |
2022 | 91.60% |
Daytime Percentage of Unrestrained Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities, 2009-2020
Year | Percent Seat Belt Use |
2009 | 43.60% |
2010 | 41.80% |
2011 | 42.30% |
2012 | 42.60% |
2013 | 39.40% |
2014 | 39.90% |
2015 | 39.00% |
2016 | 40.00% |
2017 | 39.00% |
2018 | 38.60% |
2019 | 38.50% |
2020 | 43.00% |
Seat Belt Usage by Region, 2022
US Region | Percent Seat Belt Use |
Northeast | 91.10% |
Midwest | 89.30% |
South | 90.50% |
West | 96.20% |
These results are from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS). The NOPUS is conducted annually by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis.
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