U.S. Auto Safety Belt Use Hits Record 82 Percent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Estimated auto safety belt use nationwide is up 2 percent to a record 82 percent, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Friday.

Auto safety regulators said the belt-use increase between June 2004 and June 2005 likely prevented 540 deaths and 8,000 injuries in auto crashes.

The data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration came from observations of 207,000 drivers and front-seat passengers at more than 2,000 sites.

The highest belt-use rate was seen in the West at 85 percent. The lowest was the Northeast at 78 percent. Gains were seen among pickup truck drivers and in rural areas where most crash deaths occur.

More than 42,600 people were killed in traffic accidents last year. About a quarter of the total fatalities occurred in rollover crashes, most involving sport utility vehicles and pickups, safety figures show. Nearly two-thirds of rollover victims were not wearing seat belts. Safety advocates say higher seat belt use and better belt design would save more lives in rollovers.

A new federal highway law offers financial incentives to states that adopt the toughest, or primary, belt laws. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have primary laws, which allow police to stop drivers solely for not wearing seat belts. South Carolina's primary belt law takes effect in December.