Write Up:  

Wearing a seat belt is one of the easiest ways vehicle occupants can protect themselves in the event of a crash yet ensuring that everyone is buckled up on every trip—day or night—remains a challenge. Public education and legislation are two keyways to keep this issue in front of motorists. MoDOT supports both approaches, addressing the problem through focused marketing campaigns and reinforcing them with solid data to support legislative efforts and media outreach. Several municipalities across the state have enacted primary seat belt ordinances within their city or county limits. Missouri currently has one county and 70 municipalities with primary seat belt ordinances, representing more than 28.3% of the state’s population.

Based on 106,812 driver and front seat passenger observations, seat belt use in Missouri for 2026 was 88%, a 0.5% decrease from 2025. Washington County recorded the lowest rate at 61.8%, while Miller County had the highest at 97.2%, based on weighted data. Because nationwide numbers typically lag one year behind state data, the national average seat belt use rate for 2025 was 91.3% (up 0.1% from 2024; 2026 national data is not yet available). The most recent nationwide percentage is used as the current year’s target. *The NHTSA publication “Seat Belt Use in 2025 – Use Rates in the States and Territories” has not yet been released; therefore, MoDOT does not have updated information regarding Missouri’s ranking for 2025. *2026 national numbers are not available as of the publication date.

MoDOT continues to work with external partners to improve Missouri’s safety culture through statewide strategic initiatives such as Buckle Up Phone Down, by coordinating NHTSA-funded occupant protection enforcement campaigns, and by providing educational programs for law enforcement, schools, universities, driving schools, and other organizations.

Purpose of the Measure:

This measure tracks annual trends in seat belt use in passenger vehicles. This data drives the development and focus of the Missouri Triennial Highway Safety Plan and supports Missouri’s Show Me Zero Plan, and provides data for highway safety grant project selection.

Measurement and Data Collection:

Each June, a statewide survey is conducted at 560 preselected locations in 28 counties. The data collected is calculated into a seat belt usage rate using a formula approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data collection locations are selected from counties that represent 85% of the state’s vehicle occupant fatalities. While the data collection plan is the same each year for consistency, NHTSA guidelines require survey sites to be re-selected every five years based on updated fatality data. The 2023 survey was the first survey using updated survey sites and data pertaining to those sites for 2023 - 2027 can be compared similar to how 2018 - 2022 data was comparable. The target for this measure is updated annually in October for the next calendar year and is established as the current national average.