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Safety Belt Use Fact Sheet
* Source:
"1999 Observational Survey of Safety Belt
and Child Restraint Use in Florida"
- In 1998 there were 2,889 traffic fatalities
and more than 241,000 injuries in motor vehicle crashes on
Florida highways. Over 59 percent of drivers who were fatally
injured were not using available restraint systems.
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- Estimates show that if Florida had a primary
enforcement safety belt law, 200 lives would be saved and
6,134 injuries prevented the first year. This represents $385.1
million in potential savings to taxpayers.
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- According to a 1999 Florida survey*, use of child
safety restraint systems ranged from a low of 45.3 percent in
Marion County, to a high of 83.7 percent in Volusia County.
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- Traffic-related injuries are the leading
cause of death for children and young adults ages six to 27.
Research also shows that minority youth are at an even greater
risk because they are less likely to be buckled up.
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- In Florida, the highest safety belt usage was
observed in women and men over 60 years of age, and the lowest
use rates were found in men driving light trucks, vans
and cars.*
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- Businesses pay the price at a cost of $22,000
per on-the-job crash, and $110,000 per injury due to lost
productivity and higher insurance and medical costs.
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- The "top ten" Florida counties
with the highest number of motor vehicle fatalities are Dade,
Broward, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Duval,
Volusia and
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