LANSING, MI— For the second year in a row, the state’s seat belt use rate dropped slightly.
Michigan State University conducted a direct observation study in May and June. It determined a seat belt usage rate of 92 percent. That’s a 0.4 percentage point decrease from 2023 and the lowest rate for the state since 2004, when it was 90.5 percent.
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says every percentage point increase in seat belt use means an estimated 10 fewer traffic deaths and 100 fewer serious injuries.
The study did reveal that the use of hand-held electronic devices by drivers fell from 6.7 percent in 2023 to 5.5 percent this year. Officials attribute the drop to Michigan’s new Hands-Free Law, which took effect on June 30th of last year.
