Increased Use of Seat Belts Reduces Traffic Fatalities

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By Trey Thoelcke Published
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Traffic fatalities continue to drop year-over-year. One reason may be the increased use of seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2012 “nationwide seat belt use reached an all-time high of 86 percent.”

Why do the other 14% of riders decide not to wear them? The NHTSA cannot answer that completely. One reason, the agency says, is that more states have instituted mandatory seat belt laws. But some of the other results make no sense. People in the South make less use of seat belts than drivers and passengers from other regions. “Seat belt use for occupants in the South increased significantly from 80 percent in 2011 to 85 percent in 2012,” the NHTSA reports.

The agency decided that the holiday was a good time to release the data, because so many people will drive during the next week. Remember:

“When it comes to driving safely, one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and your family is to use a seat belt,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This Thanksgiving holiday, we’re urging everyone on our roadways to buckle up — every trip, every time.”

As if we did not know that already.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

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