AAA urges seat belt use

COEUR d'ALENE — AAA Idaho has a simple message heading into the winter months: Buckle up

"One of the most important, and sometimes neglected, pieces of safety equipment in your car can protect you with a single click," said Matthew Conde, a spokesman for AAA Idaho.

The Idaho Transportation Department reports that in 2018, observed seat belt use was measured at 85 percent, but just 37 percent of the people who were killed in crashes on Idaho roads were wearing seat belts.

ITD estimates that if all the unbelted motor vehicle occupants had been wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, half of them may have been saved.

"A seat belt is a small inconvenience when compared to an empty seat at the family table," Conde said.

The Gem State is one of 15 states that doesn’t have primary enforcement for seat belt use. That means that unless police officers spot other dangerous behavior, like impaired driving or speeding, they can’t emphasize the importance of wearing a seat belt.

"By then, it may already be too late to prevent a tragedy," Conde said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that have enacted primary seat belt laws saw usage increase by an average of 14%, and occupant fatalities decrease by an average of 8%.