A report published last month by the American Journal of Public Health and reported on in HealthDay provides some good news for parents. Stricter seat belt usage laws do seem to have an influence on teenagers. The bottom line is that in states where police are allowed to stop cars for no other reason than because the drivers are not wearing seat belts, teenage drivers and passengers are more likely to buckle up than in states without such laws.
These laws are referred to as primary-enforcement seat belt laws. In sates with secondary-enforcement laws seat belt usage was lower.
The study also revealed that “blacks, rural residents, academically challenged students and those who drove pick-up trucks had particularly low rates of seat belt use.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says parents are the key to safe teen drivers.
