West Virginia seat belt use makes meteoric rise

Seat belt use in West Virginia has caught on. A recent Washington Post report indicated seat belt use in the Mountain State in 2001 was 52 percent.  In 2013, the Post report revealed seat belt use had increased to 82 percent. It’s the largest percentage increase of any state in the country.

“The primary seat belt law passed a little over a year ago and I think that’s made a significant difference,” said Bob Tipton, director of the West Virginia Highway Safety Program. “It’s told the people of West Virginia that wearing it is important.”

West Virginia’s first seat belt law was passed in the 2001 and was a secondary offense. With the passage of the primary seat belt law, now a motorist can be pulled over and ticketed for failing to buckle up.  Tipton admitted it was a culture change for many, but at the same time there has been considerable effort put into public awareness with a number of programs over the years to encourage more seat belt use.

“Most people don’t think they are going to be involved in a crash,” he said. “History tells us if you’re driving, you’ll be involved in some sort of crash.”

During the year 2000 411 people died in car wrecks in West Virginia, compared to 2013 when the number dropped to 332.  Tipton said even more remarkable was the lower number of serious injuries suffered in automobile accidents in that same time frame. Tipton said in 2000 13,740 were severely injured, but in 2013 it dropped to 4,974.