Every 14 seconds someone in the United States is injured in a traffic crash and every 12 minutes someone is killed. Seat belts are the most valuable safety device in a motor vehicle and the most effective means of reducing injuries and fatalities in a crash. They are the best defense against the risky driving behaviors on our roadways.

Currently, 81% of Americans wear their seat belts, the highest usage rate since the federal government began conducting national surveys in 1994. But many more lives could be saved if seat belt use continued to increase. For every 2 percent increase in seat belt use, there are 6 million more users, resulting in 500 additional lives saved per year. If America's seat belt use rate climbed to 85%, 4,194 lives would be spared, 102,518 injuries prevented and $6.7 billion saved each year! These facts make the case--America needs to buckle up.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the workplace and a leading cause of work-related disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005). There is evidence that many motorists do not wear seat belts on the job and recent research findings indicate that belt use among those driving for work may be lower than among other vehicle operators.

Seat belt use is an inexpensive and effective way for employers to reduce occupational deaths and injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that using seat belts reduces the risk of death among front seat occupants in passenger vehicles by about 45 percent; the risk reductions among occupants of pickup trucks are estimated to be 60 to 65 percent.

Businesses incur enormous economic costs each year from traffic crashes through lost productivity, workers compensation and medical costs, and higher insurance premiums. Employers have a crucial role to play in increasing seat belt use and safeguarding employees - their most valuable asset. Specifically, employers should:

• Determine their current corporate seat belt use rate. Click here for instructions on how to conduct an Observational Seat Belt Survey.
• Implement a strong policy requiring employees to wear seat belts when driving on company business (and encourage them to do so on personal time, too). Click here for a sample policy.
• Communicate to employees through organizational channels (newsletters, email, posters, seminars, training classes, etc.) the company's commitment to safety and health and specifically to the importance of wearing a seat belt, every trip, every time.
• Institute activities and programs that incentivize the use of seat belts and a recognition program for those employees who buckle up.
• Support local and national high visibility enforcement efforts to promote seat belt use.

To support America's workforce, NETS has developed a corporate seat belt program for employers. The easy-to-follow program includes seat belt policies, daily campaign messages and activities, a corporate newsletter article, presentation templates, camera-ready artwork for ads, flyers and paycheck stuffers, a poster, strategies to incentivize belt use, and instructions for conducting an on-site observational survey to determine your corporate use rate.

For additional information on this program, visit http://www.trafficsafety.org/buckle.asp.