Michigan had the nation's fourth-largest increase in seat belt usage during the last year, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Tuesday.
Statewide seat belt usage increased 5.7 percent between 2003 and 2004, jumping from 84.8 to 90.5 percent. Arizona had the highest increase, with a 9.1 percent jump, as well as the highest usage rate, with 95.3 percent.
Mississippi and Massachusetts had the lowest usage rates with 63.2 and 63.3 percent, respectively.
Overall, 37 states increased their usage compared to last year.
Michigan is also one of only seven states or territories with a usage rate of more than 90 percent. The others were Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and Washington.
"It's very exciting," said Anne Readett, spokeswoman for the Office of Highway Safety Planning. "It had been our goal to get a 90 percent usage rate."
The office estimates that for every 1 percent increase in safety belt use, 10 lives will be saved. So a 5.7 percent increase would equal more than 50 people saved.
"That's a person every week who will be here next week because they had their seat belt on," Readett said.
In 2000, Michigan adopted the primary enforcement law. As a result, usage rates jumped from 70 percent to 83.5 percent in one month, Readett said.
As one of 22 states with a primary seat belt law, Michigan state law enables an officer to issue a motorist a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt. Most other states have secondary seat belt laws, meaning police can only deal tickets to drivers who are stopped for another violation. Ohio is one such state.
"A whole lot of people took the law more seriously after that," Readett said.
Michigan is also one of 38 states that are part of the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, a nationwide seat belt mobilization effort.
Part of the reason for the ticket campaign was that previous attempts to increase usage have failed, Readett said.
"We emphasize the cost of the citation," Readett said. "We've tried to say 'It saves your life,' but it has come down to saying 'It saves you money.'"
The next big statewide mobilization is in December, when officers will crack down on drunken drivers, Readett said.
Nationwide efforts to increase seat belt usage aren't just about issuing tickets, said Don McNamara, regional administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As usage rates climb into the 90 percent range, fatalities drop, McNamara said.
"When you have the paid media teaming up with law enforcement, it gets across the message that if you're not wearing a seat belt, you're going to get a citation," he said.
But some MSU students, such as no-preference freshman Dan Tingstad, said there are more important things than seat belt usage that law enforcement officers should be concerned about.
"I see people speeding on the expressway and don't get ticketed, but then someone gets ticketed for not wearing a seat belt," he said. "The focus should be on reckless or safe driving, not just driving safe by wearing a seat belt."
Staff writer Darrell Hughes contributed to this report.
