According to Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), as of September 2009, 30 states have primary seatbelt laws. Primary enforcement means that a vehicle can be pulled over and ticketed for non-compliance of that state's seatbelt law, even if there is no other violation. Each state has specific laws regarding who in the vehicle must be buckled.
GHSA also indicates that 19 states have secondary laws. Vehicles can only be stopped for other violations and then a ticket may be issued for non-compliance of that state's seat belt law.
Fines for a first offense failure to wear a seatbelt range from $10 in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, to $250 in the Virgin Islands.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) research shows that the use of seatbelts can reduce the risk of moderate to serious injury by up to 65 percent.
According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, 55 of the passenger vehicle occupant deaths were a result of not wearing seatbelts in 2006. In 2005, six out of ten deaths of children were due to not wearing them.
Statistics from NHTSA indicate that seatbelts saved 15,383 lives in 2006 and 13,250 in 2008.
