For the Miami Valley Today
MIAMI VALLEY — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding everyone to buckle up this upcoming holiday season and continue to do so every day. Since 2016, there have been 2,738 people killed in crashes due to not wearing an available safety belt.
“Seat belts save lives and reduce the risk of serious injury,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Wearing a safety belt not only protects the driver, but everyone in the vehicle.”
In 2021, Ohio’s safety belt usage rate was 84.1 percent, a decrease from 85.9 percent in 2019. Unfortunately, this illustrates that some Ohioans still do not buckle up.
“Your safety belt offers you the most protection when worn properly,” said Lt. Shawn D. Cook, commander of the Marysville Post. “When safety belts are not used or improperly worn, potential for crash-related injuries and death increases dramatically.”
Ohio’s safety belt law remains a secondary violation; however, troopers will continue zero-tolerance enforcement when motorists are stopped for other violations and are found to not be wearing their safety belt. Since 2016, more than 615,000 people have been issued seat belt citations.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there have been 136 serious injuries and deaths attributed to the victims not wearing seatbelts in Miami County since 2016.
Cuyahoga County (1,772) leads the state in unbelted fatal and serious injuries since 2016, followed by Franklin (1,203), Hamilton (936), and Montgomery (874) counties. Combined, these four counties account for nearly one- third (32%) of unbelted fatal and serious injuries in the state.
From 2016 to present, 71% of vehicle occupants aged 21-24 killed in traffic crashes were not wearing an available seat belt. Occupants aged 25-34 also had low seat belt usage with 70% of those killed being unbelted. In contrast, 54% of occupants killed between the ages of 55-64 were unbelted.
Troopers encourage everyone to Buckle Up Every Trip, Every Time. For a complete statistical analysis of safety belt violations, visit: https://statepatrol.ohio.gov/links/Seat_Belt_Bulletin_2021_11.pdf.
