State seat belt use among best in nation

WASHINGTON – Motorists in Hawaii, Washington state and Nevada had the nation’s highest rates of clicking their seat belts in 2005, a record year for seat belt use nationwide.

Thirty-four states increased their seat belt use this year, the government said Friday. The federal traffic safety agency had said in September that seat belt use overall was a record 82 percent in 2005.

Hawaii led the nation with 95.3 percent. Puerto Rico and seven other states – Arizona, California, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state – scored rates of 90 percent or better.

Washington’s rate of seat belt use was 95.2 percent; Idaho’s was 76 percent.

Mississippi had the lowest rate in the nation with slightly better than 60 percent. It was followed by Massachusetts (64.8 percent), Kentucky (66.7 percent), Arkansas (68.3 percent), South Dakota (68.8 percent) and Kansas (69 percent).

New Hampshire and Wyoming did not report statistically reliable estimates, officials said.