New statistics show seat belt usage in Michigan is declining.
The best year on record for seat belt usage was 2009, when almost 98-percent of residents buckled up. In 2019, the rate had fallen to 94.4-percent.
A Michigan State University study this year puts the usage rate at 92.6-percent.
Officials say every one percent increase in seat belt usage saves ten lives in the state.
Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kendall Wingrove says traffic deaths are trending upward.
“The fatalities already went up in 2020, and the preliminary statistics are they’re going to go even higher in 2021.”
The state is launching an information campaign this week to raise awareness, including an advertising push to promote the usage of seat belts by back seat passengers.
