Probability of Death When Not Wearing a Seatbelt in a Crash

Approximately 45% of all passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes were unrestrained (not wearing seatbelts) in 2022, despite the national seatbelt use rate being 91.6%. This dramatic overrepresentation means that unbelted occupants are roughly 30 times more likely to be killed per crash than belted occupants.

Seatbelts reduce the risk of death for front-seat occupants by approximately 45% and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50%. For rear-seat occupants, seatbelts reduce fatality risk by about 60%. In combination with airbags (which are designed to work with seatbelts), the protection is even greater.

Seatbelt use varies significantly by demographics and geography: men are less likely to buckle up than women, rear-seat passengers less than front-seat, pickup truck occupants less than car occupants, and rural drivers less than urban drivers. Nighttime seatbelt use is about 5% lower than daytime. Primary enforcement seatbelt laws (where police can stop a vehicle solely for a seatbelt violation) increase usage by about 10-15 percentage points compared to secondary enforcement states.