Safety Topics Safety Topics Bicycle Safety Child Safety Distracted Driving Drug-Impaired Driving Drunk Driving First Responder Safety Motorcycle Safety Older Driver Safety Pedestrian Safety Rail Grade Crossing School Bus Safety Seat Belt Safety Speeding Teen Driver Safety Vehicle Safety View All Breadcrumb Safety Topics Seat Belt Safety Seat Belt Safety About Campaigns Facts Resources About Seat belt use messaging is essential to any road safety communication plan. We offer communication resources, in English and Spanish, for year-round social norming messaging and messaging to be used during enforcement periods. While both enforcement and social norming campaigns help spread awareness and educate the public about the deadly consequences of not wearing a seat belt, it's important to understand the differences — and use the right communication material at the right time. Social Norming Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. This campaign runs year-round, when high-visibility enforcement is not taking place, and focuses on social norming as a way to encourage seat belt use. Learn More → Enforcement Click It or Ticket Click It or Ticket This high-visibility enforcement campaign runs during specific times of the year. Messaging should include the consequences of not wearing a seat belt and be supported by increased law enforcement. Learn More → Special Activations Within the Next 90 days National Enforcement | Click It or Ticket Seat Belt Safety May 12, 2025 - Jun 1, 2025 Facts Seat belt facts, stats and reports from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis Get More Facts & Reports GeneralOn average, every 50 minutes a passenger vehicle occupant not wearing a seat belt dies in a traffic crash. In 2023, 10,484 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were not wearing seat belts. The national estimate of seat belt use during the day by adult front-seat passengers in 2024 was 91.2%. In 2023, more unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes at night (5,779) than during the day (4,600). In 2023, 56% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. Among young adults 18 to 34 killed while riding in passenger vehicles in 2023, more than half (60%) were completely unrestrained — one of the highest percentages for all age groups. Men make up the majority of those killed in traffic crashes. Men are also overrepresented in unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities with 53% of men and 41% of women dying without a seat belt in 2023.By Type Vehicle type: There seems to be a misconception among those who drive and ride in pickup trucks that their large vehicles will protect them better than other vehicles in a crash. The numbers say otherwise: 61% of pickup truck occupants who were killed in 2023 were not buckled. That’s compared to 47% of passenger car occupants who were not wearing seat belts when they were killed. Regardless of vehicle type, seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. Seating position: Too many people wrongly believe they are safe in the back seat unrestrained. Forty-eight percent of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2023 were unrestrained, but 60% of those killed in back seats were unrestrained. Rural versus urban locations: People who live in rural areas might believe their crash exposure is low, but in 2023, there were 11,755 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in rural locations and 12,081 fatalities in urban locations. Out of those fatalities, 50% of those killed in the rural locations were known to be not wearing their seat belts, compared to 48% in urban locations. For facts translated in Spanish, visit NHTSA.gov/Espanol. Additional Resources Seat Belt data visualizationSeat Belt Countermeasures That WorkResources: Child Passenger SafetyResources: Teen Driving & Seat BeltsNHTSA Image Library: Seat BeltsNHTSA's Seat Belt: English | SpanishSign up to get campaign updates via email from Traffic Safety Marketing × Site search modal Here you can search the entire site Search
Safety Topics Safety Topics Bicycle Safety Child Safety Distracted Driving Drug-Impaired Driving Drunk Driving First Responder Safety Motorcycle Safety Older Driver Safety Pedestrian Safety Rail Grade Crossing School Bus Safety Seat Belt Safety Speeding Teen Driver Safety Vehicle Safety View All Breadcrumb Safety Topics Seat Belt Safety Seat Belt Safety About Campaigns Facts Resources About Seat belt use messaging is essential to any road safety communication plan. We offer communication resources, in English and Spanish, for year-round social norming messaging and messaging to be used during enforcement periods. While both enforcement and social norming campaigns help spread awareness and educate the public about the deadly consequences of not wearing a seat belt, it's important to understand the differences — and use the right communication material at the right time. Social Norming Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. This campaign runs year-round, when high-visibility enforcement is not taking place, and focuses on social norming as a way to encourage seat belt use. Learn More → Enforcement Click It or Ticket Click It or Ticket This high-visibility enforcement campaign runs during specific times of the year. Messaging should include the consequences of not wearing a seat belt and be supported by increased law enforcement. Learn More → Special Activations Within the Next 90 days National Enforcement | Click It or Ticket Seat Belt Safety May 12, 2025 - Jun 1, 2025 Facts Seat belt facts, stats and reports from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis Get More Facts & Reports GeneralOn average, every 50 minutes a passenger vehicle occupant not wearing a seat belt dies in a traffic crash. In 2023, 10,484 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes were not wearing seat belts. The national estimate of seat belt use during the day by adult front-seat passengers in 2024 was 91.2%. In 2023, more unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes at night (5,779) than during the day (4,600). In 2023, 56% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. Among young adults 18 to 34 killed while riding in passenger vehicles in 2023, more than half (60%) were completely unrestrained — one of the highest percentages for all age groups. Men make up the majority of those killed in traffic crashes. Men are also overrepresented in unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities with 53% of men and 41% of women dying without a seat belt in 2023.By Type Vehicle type: There seems to be a misconception among those who drive and ride in pickup trucks that their large vehicles will protect them better than other vehicles in a crash. The numbers say otherwise: 61% of pickup truck occupants who were killed in 2023 were not buckled. That’s compared to 47% of passenger car occupants who were not wearing seat belts when they were killed. Regardless of vehicle type, seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash. Seating position: Too many people wrongly believe they are safe in the back seat unrestrained. Forty-eight percent of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2023 were unrestrained, but 60% of those killed in back seats were unrestrained. Rural versus urban locations: People who live in rural areas might believe their crash exposure is low, but in 2023, there were 11,755 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in rural locations and 12,081 fatalities in urban locations. Out of those fatalities, 50% of those killed in the rural locations were known to be not wearing their seat belts, compared to 48% in urban locations. For facts translated in Spanish, visit NHTSA.gov/Espanol. Additional Resources Seat Belt data visualizationSeat Belt Countermeasures That WorkResources: Child Passenger SafetyResources: Teen Driving & Seat BeltsNHTSA Image Library: Seat BeltsNHTSA's Seat Belt: English | SpanishSign up to get campaign updates via email from Traffic Safety Marketing
United States Department of Transportation