According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers wore their seat belts 84% of the time in 2009 doing their best to protect themselves in the event of an auto accident. In 2008, seat belt usage was at 83%.
States that have what are called a “primary laws”, which allows law enforcement officials to pull you over just for not wearing a seat belt, had higher seat belt usage than those that do not – 88% in the primary law states vs 77 in the secondary law states.
Seat belt usage also varies according whether occupants are traveling on highways or secondary roads, high or low speeds, or if there is heavy traffic. Drivers and their passengers apparently have a greater sense of danger and therefore wear seat belts 92% of the time in heavy traffic, 89% of the time on the expressway and 88% of the time at when driving at high speeds.