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Show SEAT BELT NON-USE (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey) Failure to use seat belts is considered a health risk. Slightly more than twenty percent of Utahns surveyed reported that they sometimes, seldom, or never use safety belts. This means that almost 80% of Utahns surveyed reported always or almost always using seat belts, a percentage that is slightly lower than the national median. This also reflects the increased use of seat belts, both in Utah and in the U.S. Of 49 states reporting, 28 have greater safety-belt usage than Utah (Table 73, Figure 47). Figure 47 Seat Belt Non-Use* (Percentages) Table 73 U.S. Year Utah U.S. Low Median U.S. High 1986 47.4 8.8 47.9 71.2 1987 39.2 7 42.1 72 1988 33.3 6.5 30.1 67A 1989 34.6 6.3 28.6 61.9 1990 30.5 4.9 25.9 59.6 1991 25.1 4 23.8 56.4 1992 21.8 4 19.3 51.6 Percentage of persons who report sometimes, seldom, or never using safety belts. Seat Belt Non-Use - - -?------------- 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 --_-A_-- us Low -O- - - u.s. Median -O- - Utah ---n- - - -U.S. High (Utah Safety Belt Observation Study) Unlike the BRFSS, which asks respondents whether or not they use safety belts, the annual Utah Safety Belt Observation Study measures usage rates based on actual observations of drivers, front seat passengers and children. The 1994 survey was conducted during May at a fixed number of urban and rural locations at various times of the day. The 1994 study observed that safety belt usage for drivers and front seat passengers was 49.8% for in-city driving and 61.9% for highway/freeway driving. Combining these rates results in an overall seat belt usage rate of 53.2% which is an increase from the 1993 rate of 49.7%, but far less than the percentage reporting that they always or almost always used seat belts in the BRFSS. In the 1994 observation study, 80.7% of children ages 0-2 were properly restrained which is about the same rate as in 1993. However, only 33.3% of children 2-8 years of age were observed to be properly restrained in 1994, and the overall child restraint usage rate fell from 55-7% in 1993 to 46.1% in 1994.1 * Utah Department of Public Safety. Observation Study 1994. Utah Safety Belt 50 RISK FACTORS . |
