FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2007

Contact: Sid Gaulden, 803-896-8409

 

COLUMBIA – According to a recent survey, nearly 75 percent of South Carolina motorists are buckling up – the highest rate since 1991.

 

As part of the Buckle Up South Carolina (BUSC) campaign that ran from May 21 to June 3, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) commissioned a survey by the University of South Carolina to gauge the rate of safety belt usage. The survey result is based on counts conducted in 16 counties that found 74.5 percent of South Carolina drivers and passengers used shoulder style safety belts in June.

 

SCDPS officials cite several reasons for the rise in safety belt usage. The passage of the primary safety belt law, which went into effect in December 2005, along with enforcement efforts by the Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies have helped save lives. In addition, SCDPS’ Office of Highway Safety has coordinated outreach efforts through the media and public events to inform motorists about the law and the life-saving potential of wearing safety belts.

 

BUSC is a high visibility statewide safety belt enforcement and public information and education campaign coordinated by SCDPS in conjunction with national and regional enforcement mobilizations of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  The goals are an increase in safety belt usage in South Carolina and a decrease in traffic fatalities and serious injuries during the enforcement period.

 

The BUSC survey also found that:

 

• Women continue to be more likely than men to use safety belts – 84.5 percent to 68.4 percent
• Passengers are less likely than drivers to use safety belts – 74.0 percent to 74.6percent
• Rural occupants are less likely to use safety belts than urban occupants – 73.0 percent to 75.2 percent  
• White occupants had a higher rate of use than non-white occupants – 77.8 percent  to 67.2 percent
• Car occupants were more likely to wear safety belts than truck occupants – 77.7 percent to 67.8 percent

 

The three counties in the study with the highest rates of safety belt use in June are:

• Florence, 83.3 percent  
• Darlington, 80.4 percent  
• Cherokee, 79.9 percent

 

The three counties with the lowest rates of safety belt usage in June are:

• Chester, 66.6 percent
• Bamberg, 67.3 percent  
• Lexington, 70.3 percent

 

The study also found that 35.5 percent of observed motorcyclists wore helmets; a decrease from the 49.7 percentage rate in April.