Pediatric Data

Why Support a Primary Seat Belt Law?  Primary seat belt laws work…

·      Less than 1% of all crash-related pediatric spinal cord injury patients are belted at the time of the crash. (The Shepard Center)

·      Seat belts are 57% effective in preventing traumatic and fatal brain injuries. (Brain Injury Association of America) 

·      Studies have shown that “the incidence of any head injury among restrained drivers … was only 2.76”

What’s the Impact on Kids? Adults who don’t buckle up, don’t buckle up kids.   DPH illustrates below, 10 years of serious injuries suffered by children demonstrating that education alone is not enough. During debate and passage of 1994’s seat belt law, kids suffered fewer serious injuries.  Once the public understood they weren’t subject to a traffic violation stop, the numbers of serious injuries suffered by children tripled. 

Pediatric (<=18 yrs) Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident (E810-E19) Admissions 1990 to 2000

Year     Total Admissions including Trauma             Trauma*             Percent Trauma

1990                            633                                  102                               16%

1991                             645                                   83                                 13%

1992                             675                                   84                                 12%

1993                             623                                   58                                   9%

1994                             774                                   62                                   8%

1995                             706                                   79                                 11%

1996                             782                                  163                               21%

1997                             684                                  143                               21%

1998                             478                                  159                               33%

1999                             572                                  131                               23%

2000                             534                                  128                               24%

*Trauma Defined by Injury Severity Score >= 15

What Additional Benefits are There?

Making all traffic violations subject to primary enforcement sends a clear message that the state considers belt use mandatory for the safe operation of a motor vehicle, while eliminating any discretionary application of the law.  A 15 % increase in seat belt use, like that experienced by others states after they have passed primary enforcement, would prevent 3,000-4,000 injuries and save Massachusetts an estimated $80 million in healthcare, taxes and insurance costs. (NHTSA). A seat belt violation is not a surchargeable event for purposes of insurance premiums in Massachusetts.