In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that fewer Americans used their seat belts in 2011. According to NHTSA, the percentage of drivers and passengers wearing the safety devices slipped from 85% to 84%.
At first glance, that change might seem insignificant, but 1% of the 314,686,189 folks living in the U.S. is more than 3.1 million people. Even a 1% drop in seat belt usage could help account for early reports (also from NHTSA) that traffic fatalities have been creeping up from previous record lows.
