Survey: Seat belt use at all-time high in U.S.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Seat belt use in the United States has reached an all-time high of 75 percent, a new survey shows.

The survey, conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, credits the passage and enforcement of primary seat belt laws for the increase. In states with primary laws, seat belt usage is 80 percent, the agency said.

Primary belt laws allow law enforcement officers to stop and ticket drivers for not wearing their seat belts. In states with secondary laws, a driver must commit a moving violation before an officer can issue a ticket for failure to use a seat belt.

"More and more people are realizing that seat belts are absolutely the most effective safety device in a car," said agency Administrator Jeffrey Runge. "The Bush administration is committed to a seat belt use goal of 78 percent by 2003."

The data comes from a June survey. The agency conducts a large-scale observational study periodically to support occupant protection programs. The survey records seat belt use for cars and helmet use for motorcycles.

Seat belt use for the year increased by 2 percentage points, or about 6 million people, the survey said. According to the safety agency, this rise translates into nearly 500 additional saved lives per year on U.S. highways.

"Though we can't rest until seat belt use is 100 percent in this country, " Runge said, "I am nevertheless pleased that we've reached another milestone."

The largest gain in seat belt use was in the Northeast, historically the lowest region for usage. Between 2001 and 2002, seat belt use in the region increased by 8 percent, the survey said. However, at 69 percent, the area remains in last place for overall belt use.

The West continues to rank highest, with 79 percent seat belt use, followed by the South at 76 percent and Midwest at 74 percent, the report found.

Pickups have the lowest belt use among vehicle types at 65 percent for occupants, an increase of 3 percentage points from the previous year. Sport utility vehicles and vans jumped 4 percentage points, to 79 percent usage for occupants.