The rate of seat belt use has slowly increased each year between 2002 (78%) and 2010 (88%). Efforts to prevent injuries from motor vehicle crashes include increasing the use of seatbelts and child safety seats. The Healthy Connecticut 2020 Objective is to increase the use of seat belts to 90%. The rate since 2010 has trended down away from the HCT2020 goal, however. In 2014, the estimated seatbelt use was 85%. Data last updated 6/3/2016.  Next data update is expected 8/31/2020.

Potential Partners

Connecticut Department of Public Health; Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles; Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate; State Department of Education; Connecticut Judicial Branch; Connecticut Department of Transportation; Office of the Child Advocate; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies; law enforcement; regional planning organizations; local public health agencies; health care providers including hospitals, emergency medical services, nurses, and emergency physicians; health professional associations; organizations and coalitions focused on prevention of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and child safety; and others.

1) Guide to Community Preventive Services for Motor Vehicle-Related Injury Prevention;
2) Countermeasures that Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, Third Edition;
3) The Handbook of Injury and Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control - Interventions to Prevent Motor Vehicle Injuries

Potential Strategies:

Expand the current educational awareness campaign on the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt.

Expand the number of State agencies conducting high-visibility enforcement events.