Safety belt use in North Dakota has risen by 8.9 percent over last year’s statistics, according to the 2005 Statewide Safety Belt Survey conducted for the North Dakota Department of Transportation by DLN Consulting, Inc.

“Especially worth noting is that, for the first time, a North Dakota county is rated as having greater than 80 percent seatbelt usage,” said NDDOT Director David Sprynczynatyk. “We are extremely pleased at this past year’s success in increasing seatbelt use, but also realize that continued improvement is still needed to reduce the number of unnecessary crash fatalities.”

Col. Bryan Klipfel, commander of the ND Highway Patrol, concurs.

“The vast majority of people who are ejected from a vehicle during a crash don’t survive,” said Col. Klipfel. “In most cases, these people would have survived if they had been using their safety belts.”

The survey was conducted by DLN Consulting, Inc., of Dickinson in June of 2005 at multiple sites in 16 counties. Observers looked for drivers and front seat passengers wearing shoulder harnesses in automobiles, vans, pickups, and sport utility vehicles. The survey was conducted on state, federal, and interstate highways.

Four of the counties demonstrated improved seat belt usage of more than 10 percent. The greatest improvement was in Stutsman County, with an improvement in usage of 14.4 percent, for a total usage of 79.3 percent. Ramsey County improved by 14.1 percent to a usage rate of 69.4 percent; Wells County improved 11.3 percent to a usage rate of 59.1 percent; and Cass County’s 10.9 percent improvement increased its overall usage rate to 82.7 percent.

So far, 77 people have been killed on North Dakota roadways in 2005. Six of 10 vehicle fatalities were not wearing seat belts.

According to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration statistics for 2003, the most recent year available, 18 North Dakotans survived crashes due to safety belt use. More than twice that number of people would have lived if they had been using safety belts.