Commentary
Saving lives through seat belt legislation Last year, AAA Colorado led a Teen Driving Coalition that aided in the passage of the Minor Passenger Restrictions bill (SB-036), making Colorado roads safer and saving the lives of drivers in all age groups. 
We would again like to do our part for another vital traffic safety issue that kills dozens of children a year in Colorado —seat belt usage. Statistics indicate that six out of 10 children who die in crashes are not wearing seat belts. Statistics suggest that if we change Colorado's current seat belt law, we can save the lives of both children and adults. Here is the situation:
Background—current adult & child laws
When it comes to adults, Colorado 's current seat belt law is a secondary offense—meaning drivers must be stopped for another driving offense before they can be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt.
When it comes to children, Colorado 's current child passenger safety law includes both primary and secondary enforcement:
Child law, primary enforcement: The infant seat, child safety seat and seat belt provisions of the law are primary enforcement—meaning the driver can be stopped and ticketed if an officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child in the vehicle. This applies to children who are less than four years old or weigh less than 40 pounds.
Child law, secondary enforcement: The booster seat portion of the law is only a secondary enforcement and applies to children who weigh more than 40 pounds or are at least four years old. The law currently states that these children must ride in booster seats or with a child safety belt-positioning device until they are six years old or 55 inches tall. While the booster seat portion of the law is important, it remains a secondary offense that does not allow an officer to stop and ticket a driver if the only violation is that the child is not properly restrained.
Life or death choice?
How do these current laws apply to highway fatalities?
In Colorado in 2003 (the latest available statistics), 474 drivers and passengers died in traffic crashes. Of that total number, 279 (59%) did not use seat belts. Forty-six of those passengers who died were children under the age of 16. Of the victims, 33 (72%) were riding unrestrained.
Research shows that if everyone had buckled up, nearly half of these victims should have lived.
Other states and seat belt laws
Twenty-two states, including DC and Puerto Rico, have primary enforcement seat belt laws: Alabama , California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington .
Statistics show that seat belt use rates averaged 84% in primary states compared with 73% in secondary states. In 2005, Colorado 's adult seat belt use rate was 79.2%, compared to 79.3% in 2004.
Studies also indicate that if parents buckle up, they are 87.5% more likely to buckle up their children—therefore saving children's lives in the event of a traffic crash. If the 28 secondary law states adopted primary laws, about 700 lives would be saved each year. When states adopt primary enforcement laws, driver death rates decline by an estimated 7%.
Costs to society and businesses
While the loss of life is the most devastating effect of traffic crashes, it is also estimated that traffic crashes around the country result in $150 billion in economic costs, not including $17 billion in medical care and emergency services, and $107 billion in lost productivity and property loss. Many of these costs are passed onto society: 85% of all medical costs of crash victims are paid by the public. Of the 85%, Medicaid, Medicare and other taxpayer-funded sources pay 24% of these costs. Crash victims who did not wear seat belts have higher medical costs—an estimated 50% higher.
In Colorado, crashes cost employers about $359 million annually, and about $190 per employee.
How Colorado will benefit
AAA Colorado believes that all the facts and figures on these pages boil down to one simple truth: seat belt usage saves lives. And when it comes to our youngest citizens, the equation seems just as simple and straightforward:
• When seat belt law is primary, more people buckle up.
• When parents buckle up, they're more likely to buckle up their children.
• When children are buckled up, fewer child fatalities occur.
If the current seat belt law is changed, AAA Colorado believes that all Coloradans will benefit in three important ways:
1. Lives will be saved. It's estimated that the law would help prevent approximately 626 serious injuries and save 51 lives each year.
2. Reduced injuries and fatalities would mean a $154 million reduction in related costs each year.
3. The state, through CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation), would be eligible for approximately $12 million in highway funds.
What AAA Colorado is doing and what you can do
In last year's 2005 Colorado state legislative session, legislation was introduced to change the seat belt law from secondary to primary. Unfortunately, it lost by only one vote on the last day of the session. AAA Colorado supported the measure and was part of the Colorado Safety Belt Coalition, which led the efforts for the bill's passage.
Now, in 2006, because AAA Colorado believes this issue speaks directly to our commitment to safety, security and peace of mind—and to our dedication to the initiative of lifelong mobility—it has accepted the challenge of spearheading efforts through the Colorado Safety Belt Coalition.
The Coalition is comprised of a wide variety of agencies, corporations and individuals including, among others, CDOT; the Colorado State Patrol; Colorado Chiefs of Police and other law enforcement interests; the insurance, automobile and health care industries; Children's, Craig, Exempla and other local hospitals; and organizations such as MADD, the Brain Injury Association and the Trucking Industry Association.
While AAA Colorado plans on working at multiple levels to help pass this critical legislation, it will take numerous efforts from many agencies, individuals and corporations to make it happen. These efforts also need your help and support.
We will keep you informed on all developments—through this magazine and through a specific section of our website at www.aaa.com/safety, which includes a complete list of Coalition partners and numerous support documents.
Thank you for your support. Together we can make a difference and save lives.
Information used was compiled from material provided by numerous sources, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Buckle Up America, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign.
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