Seatbelts do save lives
A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study shows daytime seatbelt use reached 90.1 percent in 2015, up from 88.5 percent in 2014.
Even with higher use, NHTSA notes that nearly half (48 percent) of people killed in crashes in 2015 were not wearing their belts.
When used properly, lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of death to front-seat occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent.
In 2015, seat belts saved nearly 14,000 lives, and since 1975, seat belts have saved an estimated 375,000 lives.