Chattanooga, TN – According to the state officials, this survey returned a statewide usage rate of 92.2 percent. The 2024 usage rate represents an increase of approximately 0.2 percent compared to Tennessee’s 2023 survey result of 92.0 percent. The 2024 survey result is Tennessee’s highest annual seat belt usage rate to date.
Every year, the THSO works to increase the state’s seat belt usage rate by collaborating with state and local partners through THSO grant-funded programs like Ollie Otter, Reduce TN Crashes, Rule the Road, and Tennessee’s Occupant Protection Coalition. The THSO also promotes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ‘Click It or Ticket’ seat belt enforcement campaign, reminding citizens to buckle up.
Highlights from Tennessee’s 2024 seat belt survey include:
– Research data was collected at 190 pre-identified roadway locations across Tennessee.
– Researchers observed almost 29,000 vehicle occupants.
– Vehicles observed included passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs.
– The highest usage rate was observed among occupants in sport utility vehicles (96.3 percent).
– The lowest usage rate was observed among occupants in pickup trucks (84.6 percent).
– Female occupants were observed to have a higher usage rate (96.2 percent) than males (89.2 percent).
– Front-seat passengers were observed to have a higher usage rate (92.3 percent) than drivers (92.1 percent).
– County-level usage rates exceeded 90 percent in 14 of 16 counties included in the survey’s sample.
– McMinn County had the highest usage rate (97 percent) among sampled counties.
The 2024 survey captured Tennessee’s all-time high average seat belt usage rate for the second year in a row.