Tennessee Highway Safety Office reports 92 percent seat belt usage rate – Clarksville Online

Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) announced the results of its annual roadside observation survey to determine the state's average seat belt usage rate. That survey found a nationwide usage rate of 92 percent.

The 2023 usage rate represents an increase of approximately 1.5 percent compared to Tennessee's 2022 survey result of 90.5 percent. The 2023 survey result is Tennessee's highest annual seat belt usage rate to date.

“Seat belts save lives,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “The purpose of this annual survey is to help THSO and traffic safety partners identify the demographic groups and areas of the state that need the most support to increase seat belt use. Our goal is to reach as many drivers as possible to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities throughout Tennessee.”

Each year, THSO works to improve the state's seat belt usage rate by improving occupant protection training through programs such as Ollie Otter, Reduce TN Crashes and other initiatives funded by THSO grants. THSO also sponsors the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign to remind citizens to buckle up.

Highlights of the 2023 Tennessee Seat Belt Survey are as follows:

• Research data was collected at 190 pre-identified road locations throughout Tennessee.
• The researchers observed almost 27,000 vehicle occupants.
• Vehicles observed included passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans and SUVs.
• The highest usage rate was observed among occupants of sport utility vehicles (96.1 percent).
• The lowest usage rate was observed among pickup truck occupants (82.4 percent).
• A higher utilization rate was observed among female residents (97.6 percent) than among men (88.4 percent).
• A higher usage rate was observed among passengers (93 percent) than among drivers (91.8 percent).
• County-level utilization rates exceeded 90 percent in 11 of 16 counties included in the survey sample.
• Davidson County and Knox County combined had the highest usage rate (95.1 percent) among the counties surveyed.

This data was collected as part of an annual road observation survey conducted in spring 2023 by the University of Tennessee's Center for Transportation Research in accordance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Uniform Criteria for State Observational Surveys of Seat Belt Use.