By Caitlin Scuderi
For The State News
More people are wearing seat belts, cutting down on traffic fatalities in Michigan, state police reported.
Since the safety belt law was passed in Michigan in 2000, traffic fatalities have decreased progressively, said Lynn Suftin of the Office of Highway and Safety Planning.
"Over the past three years, safety belt use has increased dramatically," Suftin said. "It's obvious that these numbers are illustrating the effectiveness of the safety belt law."
Traffic deaths in Michigan dropped about 2.6 percent in 2005, falling to 1,129, down 30 people from the previous year, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
There also were drops in deaths in several other areas — including overall traffic crashes, injuries related to crashes, alcohol- or drug-related fatalities and deer-vehicle crashes.
"There is never one cause or reason to explain a drop like this," Suftin said. "But the biggest factor in all the issues is safety belt usage."
From 2004 to 2005, safety belt usage increased 93 percent, according to recent state police studies, Suftin said. This shows a direct correlation to the adoption of Michigan's safety belt law, she said.
The law, which places restraints on how and where children under the age of 4 must sit, also allows police officers to stop a motorist solely for not wearing a safety belt in the front seat of a vehicle.
Derrick Schneider, a social relations sophomore, dealt with the law firsthand last summer when he was ticketed for not using his safety belt while driving.
"I was putting my seat belt on while I was driving," Schneider said. "I always wear my seat belt, I was just putting it on too late."
Schneider said he was leaving a small, crowded gas station while putting on his safety belt when he police pulled him over and ticketed for violating the Michigan safety belt law.
"By pulling someone over who is putting their seat belt on while leaving a parking lot, they are abusing their power. That's not right," Schneider said.
Despite some problems with the enforcement of the law, Lt. Thad Peterson of the Traffic Services Section said that safety is the most important thing while operating a vehicle.
While the number of motorcycle fatalities have significantly increased over the past two years, it seems as if safety has become a bigger issue with the vehicle passengers, Peterson said.
"Part of the reason that motorcycle fatalities have increased while all other types of crash-related fatalities have decreased is the fact that motorcycle owners are not taking safety courses," Peterson said.
Motorcycle fatalities were up more than 50 percent from the previous year, from 79 in 2004 to 122 in 2005, according to the Office of Highway Safety Planning.
With an increase of registered motorcyclists on the road, the change in fatalities was not a surprise, Peterson said.
As the majority of numbers and statistics of crashes and fatalities in Michigan decrease, most officials believe the adherence to safety plays a large factor.
