Survey: Idaho Motorists Using Seat Belts Less Use Drops 4% In Last 6 Months; Some Parts Of State Improving

A new survey shows the use of seat belts by Idaho motorists has dropped 4 percent in the last six months. Idaho’s latest statewide average of 55 percent is below the national average of 58 percent.

The state Office of Highway Safety said Thursday there was some improvement in seat belt use in southeastern Idaho and the north-central part of the state, but there was a big drop in the southcentral region, including Twin Falls, Rupert, Burley and Heyburn.

Highway safety officials said seat belt use in that region dropped from 63 percent at the end of last year to 46 percent in a June-July survey this year.

The city of Boise led the state in seat belt use, 65 percent, and a survey at Moscow showed 64 percent use. Other leading cities were Coeur d’Alene, 60 percent; Nampa and Idaho Falls, 58; Meridian and Post Falls, 56 and Sandpoint, 53.

On the low end in the June-July survey were Salmon, 31 percent; Rupert and Blackfoot, 33 percent; Soda Springs, 35 and Preston, 36.

Twin Falls showed the biggest drop in seat belt use. The community had 64 percent use at the end of last year but the latest survey showed 50 percent.

Patricia Raino, safety specialist, said the survey shows some people are misusing seat belts by putting the shoulder harness behind the back, making the belt a lap belt only.

She said that cuts the effectiveness of seat belts, which when used correctly reduce the risk of a fatal traffic accident by 45 percent.

“When the shoulder part of the lap-shoulder belt is put behind the person’s back, it creates slack on the lap belt portion of it, meaning that in an accident the person would be thrown forward farther before the slack would be taken in and the lap belt activated,” she said. “Those extra few inches could mean a big difference.”