Two-thirds of teenagers killed on U.S. roads at night not wearing seatbelts

Posted Mon May 19 2008 7:26 PM by James Martinez

Despite widespread safety campaigns and harsher penalties for not abiding to seatbelt laws, a new study has found that more than two thirds of all teenagers killed in vehicle accidents at night were not wearing a seatbelt. Though seatbelt use in the U.S. is rising slowly – 82% last year, up from 81% in 2006 – 68% of drivers and passengers between the ages of 16 and 20 who were killed in car crashes at night during 2006 were unbuckled.

The findings come from a new report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which only focused on 2006 data. Researchers explain that since most fatal accidents occur at night, alcohol is often a factor. They also state that seatbelt use is lower at night than during the day for the same age groups.

The problem isn’t just with teens. The percentage of unbuckled drivers and passengers involved in fatal accidents is above the 60% mark up until the age of 44. It declines to 52% for people 55-64 and 41% for those older than that.

Reader Comments

Mon May 19 2008 8:39 PM
InkMaster says

May I be the first to say HAAHAHAHAAAH!!! Awesome! :D

Oh and thats coming from an 18 year old who btw always wears his seatbelt.

No point in wasting tears on fools, darwin would get them eventually anyways
Mon May 19 2008 8:51 PM
MyWheelsOnWalls.com says

Interesting "Two thirds of all teens killed do not wear seat belts" which in my book is 66%and then it goes onto say that "The percentage of unbuckled drivers and passengers involved in fatal accidents is above the 60% mark up until the age of 44." which with my math would relate back to the 66% of the teen deaths.

What am I getting at you ask?

THE KIDS ARE DOING NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT THERE PARENTS AND ADULTS THEY LOOK UP TO ARE DOING!!!!!!!!!! Teach the adults and the kids will follow.

As for me, my old man took me to his office (MIRA) where they send crash test dummies through wind shields for the purpose of testing or in my case to teach a seven year old who would not listen what happens when you sit unbelted. I've worn by belt ever since although these days such parental tactics would have put me in foster care.

Although, thanks to Dad I now have the choice to be more careful the next time.
Tue May 20 2008 1:56 AM
Wizards Lore says

shock tactics seem to be the only way to go when trying to teach kids these days...

Get some advertisign sent over from New Zealand and Australia about seatbelts and drink driving and you will see the amount of deaths come down drastically...

but is suppose it is natural selection and all that :-)
Tue May 20 2008 10:39 AM
Gus says

My mother was a trauma surgeon. She took me along on a few Friday and Saturday nights (sounds kind of like MWOW, something we finally have in common, besides liking the Cadillac CTS), problem solved.

But I was thinking about this:
Since most cars now have a sensor in the seat to determine occupant size (or baby seat presence) what about a function that prevents the car from being started unless the occupied seat has the seatbelt fastened? Maybe something that adults can enable or disable (or not, it sounds like adults are just as daft)...
Tue May 20 2008 11:42 AM
chris says

Gus, talk like that will get you branded in the USA. Admin, could we have his comments removed before GWB tracks him down and rams the constitution down his throat?

Jesus gus, a car that doesnt work unless the seat belts are being used? even IIIIIIIIIIII wouldnt go that far. Well, no... I would, but I wouldn't expect it to happen.

I'm with ink on this one. Darwanism in a modern society.

Next. Topic.
Tue May 20 2008 1:45 PM
Gus says

Well, like I said, the feature should be disable-able.
Already my new Mustang has a "Belt-minder" function that dings at you incessantly if you don't buckle up. You simply would not be able to stand that dinging for more than a few minutes.
But you can disable it using a long series of programming steps (buckle and unbuckle the seatbelt 10 times in a row, turn the ignition of and then on 5 times in a row, etc) which I did, since I always buckle up. Maybe a system like that which only parents have the code to disable in their children's vehicles?
Thu May 22 2008 6:46 PM
Wizards Lore says

the idea is plausable but would be rejected on grounds of freedom of rights to do whatever the hell you chose or some rubish like that...
Also if you were involved in an accident and you had to remove the seat belt, there is a chance that it wouldnt allow you to remove it etc, due to their being some sort of device that stops the car starting etc...just a thought mind..carry on

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