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Seat Belts and Fatal Collisions: Personal Safety Is Only Part of the Story

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By Susan Meyer
Updated November 19, 2025
Reviewed By Beth Swanson
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Beth Swanson

Insurance Analyst

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance (AINS)
  • Professional Risk Consultant (PRC)
  • Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)
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  1. Seat belt use and fatal collisions
  2. State specifics
  3. The on-going importance of seat belt use
  4. Insurance penalties for failing to buckle up

A Transformation in Personal Safety

It isn't news to say that seat belts save lives. Seat belts are estimated to save the lives of around 15,000 Americans a year.[1]

We know this, which is why the vast majority of us are now compliant with seat belt laws. In 2024, the national average for seat belt use is 91.2%. This rate estimate represents the percentage of vehicle occupants observed to be belted during an average daylight moment.[2]

Use of the seat belt has grown in recent years, as back in the early 1980s, only about 14% of people utilized this important safety measure.[3] The increase can be chalked up to marketing campaigns, laws enforcing seat belt use, and, more recently, safety features in new cars that make it more annoying not to buckle up.

What's interesting is that while the national data definitely shows the correlation between seat belt use and fatal collisions, at the state level, we see some other factors come into play.

Let’s look at the data on how seat belt use compares to fatal car accidents in the U.S.

Seat Belt Use Versus Traffic Fatalities of Unrestrained Passengers

Source: The Zebra

Why are some states not seeing a correlation between seat belt use and fatal collisions?

Virginia is one of the few states where seat belt use is not only below the national average but is actually decreasing. A new law that took effect in July 2025 requires all occupants of a vehicle in Virginia to buckle up, regardless of their seating position.[3] This will hopefully improve overall passenger and driver seat belt use in the state. However, Virginia doesn't have the highest fatal collisions in the U.S. Why?  Because other factors are at play.

We can see this from the other side in Alabama. Alabama consistently has some of the highest fatal collision rates in the country. The state also has middling adherence to seat belt laws, but still better than Virginia. However, seat belts only paint part of the picture because of poor road infrastructure and higher rates of DUIs, which increase the number of motor vehicle accidents in the state. 

Essentially, what it boils down to is that other factors at play impact how likely you are to be killed in a motor vehicle in each state; however, choosing to wear a seat belt will always mitigate your risk, regardless of other factors. 

The Importance of Seat Belt Use

If you're this far into an article about seat belt use, chances are you don't need further convincing that wearing a seat belt is a good thing, but here are a few more statistics:[5]

 

  • In fatal crashes in 2021, 51% of passenger vehicle occupants killed were unrestrained.

  • Drivers and front-seat passengers who fail to buckle up are 30 times more likely to be ejected during a crash. Ejection is almost always deadly — 83% of people ejected from a vehicle die.

  • At just 30 mph, the force of a crash is similar to falling from a three-story building. Seat belts dramatically reduce the body’s exposure to this force by keeping occupants secured.

Seat belt habits are learned. NHTSA research shows that when parents buckle up, 94% of children do the same. In contrast, when parents don’t use seat belts, only 40% of children buckle up consistently. Modeling safe behavior is critical to long-term injury prevention.

 

Insurance Considerations for Failing to Buckle Up

We've mostly focused on what we consider the biggest incentive for buckling your seat belt: the potential to save your life. 

And while that is far and away the biggest incentive, there are also monetary ones. In most states, not adhering to seat belt laws can earn you a traffic ticket. While the costs to pay that ticket will vary by state, the longer-lasting effects will also be reflected in your insurance premiums. Receiving a ticket for failure to buckle up can increase your insurance premiums by as little as 5% in New York to more than 35% in California. 

Here's what the increase can look like in your state. Keep in mind that these increases generally remain in effect for three years after the violation.

Insurance Increases for Failure to Wear a Seat Belt Violations by State
State Average Annual Premium with No Violations Avg. Annual Premium for Failure to Wear a Seat belt Percent Increase
Alabama $1,966 $2,365 20.29%
Alaska $2,117 $2,426 14.57%
Arizona $2,365 $2,702 14.25%
Arkansas $2,404 $2,882 19.90%
California $2,190 $2,968 35.50%
Colorado $2,681 $2,984 11.30%
Connecticut $2,446 $2,876 17.55%
Delaware $2,569 $3,062 19.18%
Florida $3,685 $4,158 12.82%
Georgia $2,572 $3,096 20.38%
Hawaii $1,613 $1,688 4.68%
Idaho $1,463 $1,585 8.32%
Illinois $1,984 $2,299 15.86%
Indiana $1,659 $1,880 13.37%
Iowa $1,687 $1,897 12.42%
Kansas $2,349 $2,647 12.71%
Kentucky $2,927 $3,242 10.78%
Louisiana $3,311 $3,903 17.87%
Maine $1,535 $1,794 16.90%
Maryland $2,425 $2,743 13.10%
Massachusetts $1,599 $1,850 15.68%
Michigan $2,478 $2,960 19.48%
Minnesota $2,067 $2,347 13.59%
Mississippi $2,138 $2,546 19.07%
Missouri $3,223 $3,660 13.54%
Montana $2,205 $2,433 10.31%
Nebraska $2,048 $2,301 12.34%
Nevada $2,729 $3,196 17.11%
New Hampshire $1,423 $1,586 11.50%
New Jersey $2,342 $2,804 19.75%
New Mexico $2,031 $2,244 10.51%
New York $2,526 $2,642 4.63%
North Carolina $1,531 $1,634 6.68%
North Dakota $2,085 $2,335 12.00%
Ohio $1,479 $1,692 14.40%
Oklahoma $2,405 $2,734 13.68%
Oregon $1,882 $2,150 14.20%
Pennsylvania $2,271 $2,552 12.40%
Rhode Island $2,641 $3,069 16.18%
South Carolina $2,423 $2,772 14.40%
South Dakota $2,007 $2,269 13.04%
Tennessee $1,999 $2,302 15.15%
Texas $2,589 $2,974 14.89%
Utah $2,213 $2,583 16.73%
Vermont $1,303 $1,426 9.47%
Virginia $1,896 $2,253 18.81%
Washington $2,154 $2,622 21.74%
Washington, D.C. $2,704 $3,045 12.62%
West Virginia $2,073 $2,324 12.08%
Wisconsin $1,710 $1,935 13.14%
Wyoming $1,608 $1,804 12.20%

Wrapping up

Seat belts are not just a legal requirement; they are a proven lifesaver, backed by decades of data.

Every time a driver or passenger buckles up, they cut their risk of serious injury or death nearly in half, while also helping reduce the economic burden of crashes on society. The numbers are clear: wearing a seat belt is the simplest and most effective step anyone can take to stay safe on the road.

Sources

  1. Seat belts. [NHTSA]

  2. Seat belt use in 2024. [NHTSA]

  3. A seat belt history timeline. [AAA]

  4. New Virginia law goes into effect on July 1. [Children's Hospital of Richmond]

  5. Crash stats 2023. [NHTSA]